A Risk Worth Taking - Voight & OC
by laugh-cry-live
Summary: Layla Martin has just come back home to Chicago for a fresh start after a life-changing event. Shortly after she's hired by the Chicago PD's IT team, she meets Sergeant Hank Voight. The two feel a connection and soon discover they have more in common than either of them thought.
1. Chapter 1

**"A Risk Worth Taking" - Chapter One**

Sergeant Hank Voight sat at his desk going over case reports as the last rays of sunlight slipped through his window. He'd put off the mundane task for too long and would have to stay late to get all the reports in by the deadline. As a little incentive for himself, he'd replenished the near-empty bottle of scotch in his bottom desk drawer with a full one, and planned on indulging as soon as his last team member called it a night.

As if Jay Halstead could hear his boss's thoughts, he stood up from his desk in the bullpen, pushed in his chair and threw on his coat, calling out, "Night, Sarge," over his shoulder as he headed towards the stairs.

Voight called out a gravelly "goodnight," and turned his chair slightly to reach his bottle of scotch. He stopped when a photo on his shelf caught his eye. It was a photo of he and Alvin Olinsky. His partner. His friend. When Al was alive, he would always stay late with Voight - they'd turn the night of paperwork into a night of drinking and reminiscing. Hank missed that. He missed Al. He missed his son, Justin. He missed his wife, Camille. And he missed Erin. She was so busy in New York with her new job at the FBI that he only heard from her occasionally, and hadn't seen her in months. Most nights he went home to an empty house, watched a little TV and went to bed.

Voight was pulled from his thoughts when he heard someone approaching his office. He looked up to see Jay returning, with a striking auburn-haired woman beside him. "Uh, boss? This is Layla Martin. Sergeant Platt asked me to walk her up. She's doing the software updates for us."

Hank stood and walked around his desk. "Okay. Thanks, Jay."

As Jay walked back towards the stairs, Hank extended his hand. "Hi, I'm Hank Voight."

"Nice to meet you, Sergeant," Layla smiled back, shaking his hand with a firm grip. "Your reputation precedes you." Her green eyes sparkled with a little mischief and Hank smiled, nodding. "Well, don't believe everything you hear."

"Don't worry, I hardly ever do." Hank smiled, satisfied with her answer.

Layla looked around his office and nodded towards his computer. "Mind if I get started? It should only take me about 30 minutes and then I'll pop back up here tomorrow to do the rest of your team's computers."

Hank gathered the folders of reports from his desk and said, "Be my guest."

As Layla made her way around his desk, the folded flag on the shelf behind it caught her attention. She hesitated when she saw it, but only for a split second. Hank pretended not to notice.

"I'll be in the break room finishing this paperwork if you need me," he told her.

Layla met his eyes again and nodded, but this time the mischief in her eyes was replaced by sadness.

...

About a half hour later, Voight heard a knock at the break room door and glanced up to see Layla pulling her bag onto her shoulder.

"All done, Sergeant."

"Please, call me Hank."

"See you tomorrow, Hank."

With one more report to finish, Hank kept working, thinking about the glass of scotch he never got to have and ready to get home to pour himself one. A few minutes later he realized he never heard the gate at the top of the stairs slam shut after Layla.

Curious, he stood up, stretching, and walked out into the bullpen. He was surprised to see Layla standing in front of the suspect board. Her back was to him but he distinctly heard the telltale sniffling of someone who'd been crying.

"Sorry, Jay should have covered that before he left." Hank apologized, the sound of his voice so close making Layla jump. She turned to look at him. "No, I'm sorry. This is none of my business. I just…" She trailed off, not finishing her sentence as she wiped a single tear from her face.

Taking a steadying breath, she looked back at the board. Hank took a step forward to stand beside her. He noticed her attention was focused on the photo of their victim, a Marine, killed one month after returning home from an active tour in the Middle East, just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The photo beside his service photo showed the victim and his wife posing with their children.

"It's just," Layla said quietly, "I know what it's like to have a stranger show up at your door and tell you your husband's not ever coming home."

Hank frowned and moved a little closer to her. Waiting until she looked up, he met her eyes and said sincerely, "I'm sorry."

Layla nodded her thanks, biting her lip to compose herself.

After a moment she took a deep breath and said, "Well, see you tomorrow Hank," and made her way to the stairs.

"Tomorrow." Hank nodded, watching her go.

He stood there a few moments after the gate slammed shut signaling her departure. He'd buried his wife, and he wouldn't wish that on anyone. Layla was young, Hank thought, maybe 35? That's too young to carry that weight.

Turning his attention back to the case board, Hank looked at the photos with fresh eyes. This man's family deserved justice and Hank wasn't going to rest until they got it.

 _To be continued_


	2. Chapter 2

**"A Risk Worth Taking" Chapter Two**

Layla walked into Molly's and approached the bar, shedding her scarf and coat before sitting down.

"Layla!" Hermann's voice rang out over the hum of the conversations and TVs playing around them. He hurried around the bar to give her a big hug. "How are you?"

"Hey Chris, I'm good. I need to be at home unpacking, I just had a rough day at work and figured I'd stop by for a drink."

"Uh oh, did something happen?" Hermann asked, concern clouding his features.

"No." She hesitated, "Well, kind of. I just stumbled on some case photos while I was in Intelligence and they brought up some memories. Got a little emotional." Hermann nodded, sympathy in his eyes."

"No one was there except the Sergeant but it was a little embarrassing. He was nice, though." Layla added, remembering Voight's sincerity when he said, "I'm sorry."

Layla noticed a flash of disdain cross her brother-in-law's face. "What was that look?"

Hermann pressed his lips in a thin line, brows furrowed.

"Hank Voight is not nice. You need to steer clear of him."

Layla stayed quiet, waiting for him to elaborate, but he didn't. Instead, he said, "Let me get you that drink," and rounded the bar to pour her a glass of wine.

"So are you and Cindy packed and ready for your weekend getaway?" Layla smiled, changing the subject. She was glad her sister and her husband were getting a much need, kid-free break.

"Yeah," Hermann said, not able to hold back his smile. It made Layla smile too, thankful that he loved her older sister so much. "And listen, thanks again for offering to watch the little monsters. They've been putting together an itinerary of things for you all to do this weekend. I think it involves a lot of Minecraft."

His expression was apologetic causing Layla to giggle. "I'm happy to do it."

Hermann got called away by an impatient customer at the other end of the bar, leaving Layla to her thoughts.

Cindy had been the one that encouraged Layla to come back home to Chicago after her husband Jake's death. At first, Layla couldn't imagine leaving their home and it's memories. But after a year and a half, the house had started to feel like a prison. Every room held a memory that made her ache with sadness.

It had taken her almost six months to sell their house in North Carolina, but as soon as the papers were all signed, she was on a flight home.

Layla sighed and took a sip of her wine. It may be where she was from, but Chicago just didn't feel like home anymore. If she was being honest with herself, nowhere really felt like home. Yes, she loved Cindy and Hermann and her niece and nephews, but she missed having a best friend in the way that only a spouse can be. Someone who knows all your flaws but still chooses you everyday. Someone you can lean on, confide in.

Layla finished her wine and was about to leave when Hermann called her over to a table against the wall. There was a young woman sitting there, her hair pulled back into a ponytail, and she smiled warmly when Layla approached.

"Like I said, Layla's just moved back home and doesn't know that many people. I thought you two might hit it off." Hermann looked so proud of himself that Layla ignored her embarrassed annoyance.

The woman extended her hand, "Hi, I'm Kim Burgess. Please," she gestured towards the chair opposite her, "have a seat."

Layla shook her hand, "Layla Martin. Nice to meet you," and sat down.

Hermann went back to his duties and left the women sitting in an awkward silence.

"So Kim," Layla grasped for topics to discuss, "what do you do?"

"I'm a police officer with the Intelligence Unit." Kim beamed, proudly.

Layla's face lit up in recognition, "Oh! I met your Sergeant today." Kim looked confused so Layla explained. "I just started with the department's IT team a few weeks ago. I was in your unit updating Sergeant Voight's computer earlier tonight. I'll actually be back tomorrow to finish the rest of the computers up there."

"Oh, awesome! My computer has been giving me a lot of problems lately. We used to have a person on our unit that helped us out with them and since he left I just haven't gotten around to submitting a work ticket to IT."

"Well, I'll be glad to take a look at it tomorrow while I'm installing the new traffic cam software."

"Great, thanks!" Burgess said with a grateful nod, following it with a sip of her beer.

"Oh, you need a drink!" Kim said, realizing Layla was empty handed. She flagged Otis down and Layla ordered another glass of wine.

The two women spent the next hour getting to know each other. Kim told Layla about her past as a flight-attendant and how she ended up on the force, and Layla told Kim about her background, quickly moving through the sadder parts while highlighting her hopes about her new start in Chicago.

The two were sitting in companionable silence, sipping their drinks, when Kim's phone started buzzing on the table.

She gave Layla an apologetic look and answered, "Burgess. Hey Sarge. Okay, I'll be right there." She hung up and stood, pulling cash out of her pocket and leaving it on the table as she pulled her coat on.

"I'm sorry, Layla. It was really nice to meet you but we've got an update with our case so I gotta go in." Layla understood and waved away her apology.

"Go. I'll see you tomorrow."


	3. Chapter 3

**"A Risk Worth Taking" - Chapter Three**

The next day, Layla got to the precinct early. She wasn't sure how long it would take her to resolve Kim's computer issues and she wanted to leave plenty of time to finish the software updates for the rest of the unit.

When she walked in, the desk sergeant she had met the previous day was on duty.

"Layla, right?" Trudy Platt asked, looking up from her computer screen. Layla nodded and was about to explain what she needed when Platt got an excited look in her eye and leaned forward, her elbows propped on the counter.

"Hey, was that you're car I saw in the lot yesterday with all of the band decals on the back?" Layla, unsure where this was going, responded with "yes?"

"Okay, I don't know you but I'm pretty sure you are the coolest person in this precinct today. I mean, you've got Clapton, B.B. King, The Stones… just to name a few!" Platt said impressed.

Layla laughed at her assessment. "Yeah well, my dad raised me on the greats. We used to hunt for old records together on the weekends. I'm actually named after the Clapton song."

Platt's eyes got huge. "That. Is. Awesome."

The two talked for a few minutes about music while officers passed by and phones rang in the background. It was so busy that Layla didn't realize Voight had walked up beside her until Platt said, "Hey Hank, have you met Layla? She has the greatest taste in music."

Layla turned to look at Hank. She had been a little apprehensive about seeing him again, embarrassed about crying in front of him the night before, but he just smiled and said,

"Yeah, we met. I can buzz you up if you're ready to get started?"

Platt looked crestfallen that her gabfest was being cut short so Layla said, "Sergeant Platt…"

"Please call me Trudy," Platt interrupted.

"Trudy, once I get settled in my apartment, I'd love to have you over to listen to records. I've got some rare ones."

Platt smiled and pointed at Layla, "You're on!"

Layla smiled, happy to have made another friend, and started walking to the stairs with Hank. The lobby was so crowded, that he put his hand on the small of Layla's back to guide her towards the stairs. She couldn't deny that his touch gave her a flutter of excitement.

"Really Layla?" she thought to herself, "He's much older than you and probably happily married. The age thing isn't that big a deal, but the married part is for sure!"

Once they got upstairs, Hank flipped the light switch and the fluorescent bulbs overhead buzzed to life. As they walked, the tap-tap-tap of Layla's heels echoed through the room.

"I met one of your team members last night…"

"Oh yeah?" he asked, motioning for her to follow him to the break room.

"Yeah, Kim Burgess." Layla stood in the break room doorway as Hank started up the coffee maker.

He turned around once the coffee maker started it's drip and leaned against the counter, crossing his arms. Layla couldn't help but notice how attracted to him she was. He had a long-sleeve green shirt tucked into dark wash jeans, his gun on his hip and badge on his belt - body language relaxed.

"You're welcome to come in and sit down?" Hank gestured, smirking at her still standing in the doorway. "As long as our computers work when we need them, I don't care how long you're here today. I'll reach out to Jerry if he bitches."

Jerry Blackman was Layla's boss. He was a decent guy, just seemed a little desperate. Hank noticed a change in her expression at the mention of her boss. "Everything okay?"

Layla sat her bag down and took a seat at the table.

"Jerry's an okay boss. He just…" Layla didn't want to start anything, but the way Hank looked at her made her continue. "He must be great at interrogations," Layla thought.

"He's asked me out three times. I don't know how many more ways to say no before it becomes an issue."

Hank looked down at the floor and pressed his lips together in aggravation. He'd worked with Jerry years ago back when the cyber crimes unit was just forming. The gang unit and cyber crimes had to work together on a big case. Jerry had come on to one of Hank's informants and almost cost them the case.

"You let me know if he becomes an issue, okay?" He didn't elaborate on how he would handle the situation and Layla got the impression she shouldn't ask.

Hank watched as Layla nodded, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. As he'd noticed the night before, she was beautiful. But what he liked most about her was the way she carried herself. She had a confidence about her that made him want to get to know her.

It'd been a long time since he'd even cared to get to know a woman outside of work. No one really caught his attention. Layla did.

The coffee maker hissed as the last drops of coffee filled the carafe and Hank turned to pour a cup. He fixed Layla a cup too and sat down across from her at the small break room table.

"So, tell me about yourself Hank? Are you married?" Layla asked, bringing the cup to her lips and taking a sip.

Hank leaned back in his chair, one hand wrapped around his mug and the other propped on the back of his chair.

"I was. My wife died of ovarian cancer nine years ago."

It wasn't usually something he shared with people he just met, but after last night, Hank knew she would understand. She didn't do what everyone else did, which was immediately apologize for asking and quickly try to change the subject without looking him in the eyes.

Instead, she just looked into his eyes and nodded slowly, a silent understanding between them.

They sipped their coffee for a minute.

"So how did you meet Burgess?" Hank asked, tilting his head to the side slightly.

"Oh, at my brother-in-law's bar… Molly's?" Layla finished the sentence as a question, asking Hank of he knew the place.

Hank's eyes brightened with recognition."Hermann. So your Cindy's sister?"

Layla nodded, confused when Hank suddenly looked at the table, obviously lost in his thoughts.

"Herrmann's a good man. I'm sure he doesn't feel the same about me. But I respect him."

Again, Layla felt like she was missing something.

"Actually," she looked up, a cautious look in her eyes, "he told me to stay away from you."

Hank cleared his throat and said, "I don't blame him for saying that."

Having lost everyone he cared about though, Hank thought, was punishment enough for his sins. More than he could stand. He wanted to get to know Layla and possibly have a friend again… maybe more.

Hank rested his forearms on the table and leaned in, "But I hope you don't take his advice."

At first, Layla wasn't sure how to take his meaning but when she met his eyes, she saw an intensity there that gave her a wave of pleasure. He was flirting with her.

Layla smiled at the realization and leaned in, mirroring his posture.

"Like I said yesterday, I don't usually listen to others."

Hank let out a gruff laugh of satisfaction and Layla blushed. Seeing the color rise on her cheeks, and knowing he'd caused it, gave Hank a kind of high he hadn't felt in years.

They both jumped a little when they heard the cage open at the top of the stairs. It was Kim. Layla stood and rinsed out her mug in the sink, then swung her laptop bag onto her shoulder. Turning back to Hank she started to say something, but instead just smiled, flustered.

Hank watched as she turned and walked over to Kim, the two girls hugging before Kim started telling Layla about her computer issues.

Hank watched her for a moment longer before rinsing out his own mug and heading to his office. He felt an excitement he hadn't felt in a long time. But he also had a job to do. Closing his door, he started reviewing the case file with fresh eyes and waited for the rest of his team to arrive.


	4. Chapter 4

"A Risk Worth Taking" - Chapter 4

"Boss, we got something."

Halstead and Upton entered the bull pen. They'd gone out to finish canvassing the area where the soldier's body had been found. The 'big break' that Kim had been called in for the night before ended up being a false alarm and everyone was on edge, ready to close the case.

Layla was had been working on Kim's computer for the past hour. Though her work kept her busy, she couldn't help but hear the progress of the case. She'd been hurriedly introduced to everyone in the unit as they'd each arrived, but since then everyone had been focused on their jobs with not much small talk.

Hearing Jay's announcement, Hank came out of his office and joined everyone at the case board.

Once he had everyone's attention, Jay posted a photo on the board of a young woman. It was clearly a mugshot. She looked to be about nineteen and strung out on drugs.

"This is Emily."

"She's one of the employees that works at the bar where we found the body. She only works part-time, off the books, that's why it took us until now to find her. She really didn't want to talk to us but Upton worked her magic and got her to open up. Turns out, she saw the murder while she was walking home. She lives 20 blocks from the bar."

Kim interrupted, hopeful, "We knew the body was moved. This gives us a possible murder scene." Jay nodded.

Hailey took over. "She said our vic, Wilson, and some guy she's seen around the block called C.C. got into it in front of an apartment building one block over from hers. She ducked into an ally when she came up on the fight."

"Apparently, Wilson was asking C.C. to pay him back some money he had loaned him when they were kids. Ten grand, according to Emily. She said the way they were talking, it seemed like Wilson had loaned his friend the money to get him out from under his dealer. C.C. told Wilson that was a lifetime ago and he 'didn't owe him nothing'. Wilson got pissed and threw a punch but C.C. pulled a gun on him. She said Wilson tried to get the gun but remember the M.E. told us he'd been recovering from a dislocated shoulder so he probably wasn't in top form." Jay summarized.

"Yeah," Hailey continued, "Emily said C.C. told Wilson to go to hell before he…"

She didn't finish. They all knew the rest.

Hank stepped forward and started to give out orders but Jay interrupted. "Boss, we've got a problem though. Emily admitted to us that she was high as a kite when this all went down. That's why she was afraid to talk."

Hank balled his hands into fists at his sides and for a moment, Layla thought he might punch something.

Instead he said, "Okay, Ruzek. Get patrol down to the possible murder scene. You and Antonio go secure the scene and see if there's any evidence or any other witnesses that might be too scared to come forward."

"Got it." Ruzek said, heading to his desk and grabbing the phone to make some calls.

"Kev, see if there are any pods, any private security cameras in the vicinity. We can't use this witness so we have got to find something else that confirms her story." Kevin nodded, grabbing his coat and signalling to Kim to come along so they could canvas the areas for cameras.

"Jay. Hailey. Check the database for C.C. and see if anything pops. If not, hit up your C.I.'s and see if they know who he is. I want this guy in interrogation by tonight, is that clear?" Hank barked at his team.

"Clear, Sarge." Ruzek answered before everyone got to work.

Hank looked around and watched as his team scrambled, anger and frustration clear on his face. When his eyes landed on Layla, she snapped her attention back to Kim's computer, pretending she hadn't been listening.

—–

Two hours later, Kim and Kevin ran up the stairs. "Sarge! We've got a pod cam close to the scene. I've put in the request, I'm just waiting for the tech lab to send the file."

"Hmm," Layla said, mostly to herself but loud enough that Hank, Kim and Kevin were watching her when she looked up. "It's not really in my pay grade, but I know how to access those files. I just helped rebuild some of the code to improve the search function."

She turned her head to look at Hank.

"Do it."

Layla walked back over to Kim's computer and sat down, the other three standing behind her. Working quickly, Layla entered in the location information that Kim read off to her.

Going into a back door in the software that only the IT team used, she was able to pull up the feed within three minutes.

As the video started playing on the screen, the fight played out just like the witness said. You can clearly see C.C. pull the gun on the victim. They get into a battle for the gun but C.C. wins out, putting two quick rounds in between Wilson's eyes. Layla watched as the man's body fell to the ground, lifeless, and quickly looked away.

The others continued to watch as C.C. threw the gun into an overgrown planter and ran, panicking, out of the frame. He came back a few minutes later with a tarp and rolled up the body, apparently moving it to the location where Wilson was found.

Ki, Kevin and Hank all snaped their heads up in unison at the sight of the gun being thrown. "Call Antonio and Ruzek, tell them about the planter now!" Hank demanded.

Kevin was already on the phone. He explained quickly to Adam and waited as they searched the scene. A few minutes later Kevin yelled, "They got it!"

Everyone let out a breath they didn't realize they'd been holding. Even Layla, who was still feeling a little queasy from watching the footage. Really queasy, she thought to herself as bile started to rise in her throat.

Quickly she got up and ran to the bathroom, making it to the trashcan just in time to empty the contents of her stomach.

She was rinsing out her mouth at the sink when Kim entered the bathroom.

"Hey, you okay?" Kim asked, concerned.

"Yeah," Layla answered, reaching for a paper towel. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Kim pretended not to notice Layla's hands shaking as she threw away the paper towel.

"Sarge wants you to go home for the day. He's talking to your boss now."

Layla nodded and took a deep breath.

"You really helped us out today. Who knows what could have happened to that gun if we'd had to wait another two hours for the footage."

Kim held the door for Layla as they exited the bathroom. Hank was standing in the hallway.

"You okay, Layla?" His concern was apparent on his face.

She just nodded, a wave of nausea and dizziness causing Hank to put his hand on her arm to steady her.

Hank looked at Kim, "Burgess, why don't you take Layla home," he turned to Layla, "I'll follow with your car."

Layla started to object but another wave of dizziness came over her. She looked at Hank and nodded, Kim heading to gather her things for her.


	5. Chapter 5

**"A Risk Worth Taking" - Chapter Five**

Once Layla was home around her things - around what felt normal - the shock of seeing the video wore off. She'd planned to tackle some of the unpacked boxes in the kitchen.

A knock at the door caused her to wake with a start. Realizing she'd dozed off, Layla looked at her phone - 7:00 PM. She padded over to the door in her socks and opened it, surprised to see Hank Voight on the other side.

"Hank. Hi." Layla said, immediately aware of her disheveled appearance. She had changed into gray sweats and an old Jimi Hendrix t-shirt, her hair piled on her head in a messy bun.

"Hi," Hank answered, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Come in." Layla said, remembering her manners and stepping aside, opening the door to him.

Hank walked in and stood in the middle of her living room, his hands in his pockets.

"I just wanted to come by and make sure you're okay."

Layla moved boxes out of the way and gestured for Hank to have a seat on the couch. She sat beside him.

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine. A little embarrassed actually," Layla admitted, not meeting his eyes.

Hank reached over and put his hand over hers. "Don't be. We've all been through that at one time or another."

Layla looked up at him and nodded, amazed at how distracted she was by his hand on hers. She was sad when he removed it.

"I also wanted to come by and tell you that, thanks in no small part to your help, we got C.C. He crumbled in interrogation and admitted everything. He's going away for life."

"Oh my gosh, that's so great! Congratulations!" Layla said excitedly, "We should celebrate."

Hank couldn't help but smile. She looked adorable with her messy hair and comfy clothes.

"Actually, the team wants you to join us at Molly's later to do just that. But," Hank's expression turned serious, "I'm going to make a pit-stop on the way there and didn't know if you wanted to join me."

Layla tilted her head in curiosity. "Where to?"

"I'm going to stop by Mrs. Wilson's and let her know we got the man who murdered her husband."

Layla felt her stomach drop but instantly understood why he'd asked her.

Almost whispering, Layla said, "Yes. I'd like to go. Just let me get changed."

As she was changing, Layla thought about the upcoming visit. Though her self-preservation told her to stay away from such a terrible conversation, the thought that she could bring any instance of comfort to the widow bolstered her commitment.

Hank watched as she got up and went into another room. Just from the little he knew about her, Hank had figured she would want to go with him. They both knew that, after losing a spouse, there was a little comfort in knowing that the world hadn't just moved on and forgotten your pain.

Hank looked around her living room. There were a few boxes lying around that hadn't been unpacked yet but the space already felt comfortable. A lit candle flickered on the coffee table, casting a soft glow on the walls. A large cabinet took up almost the whole wall to his left, each shelf underneath filled with vinyl records. A record player and large speakers sat on top.

On the opposite wall, a small table held a folded flag, similar to the one in his office. Hank stood and walked over to the table. Next to the flag was a small black box. Compelled by curiosity, Hank opened it. Inside was a Purple Heart. Gently he closed the box and put it back on the table, wishing he didn't know how much pain came along with medals like that.

When Layla came back into the living room, Hank was thumbing through some of her records. "I'm impressed," he told her as he looked up at her, his next comment falling away as he took her in. She was wearing a black dress that fit her to perfection. It had three quarter-length sleeves and stopped just above her knees. Her auburn hair was down now, flowing over her shoulders. The glow of the candlelight flickered across the silver earrings dangling from her ears. Over her arm was a black leather jacket. Layla figured she could keep it conservative when going to speak to Mrs. Wilson, then throw on the leather jacket for drinks at Molly's.

Hank stood from where he had been kneeling to look at the records and said nothing. Layla's heart rate increased as seconds ticked by and his gaze didn't falter.

"Just let me grab my purse and I'll be ready to go." She said, needing but not wanting to end the moment.

Hank nodded, put his hands in his pockets and walked back over to the door. He hadn't meant to stare but it was damn near impossible.

Layla blew out the candle, grabbed her purse and walked outside, turning to lock her deadbolt. They walked in silence down the external stairs to the parking lot. Hank pointed to his black SUV and opened the passenger door for her when they reached it.

The SUV was high off the ground, and in her heels, Layla was unsure how she was going to get in and keep her "classy lady" facade in place - she'd much rather be in jeans and a t-shirt. But Hank immediately offered her his hand and she took it, using it to balance herself as she climbed in.

As Hank closed her door and went around to the driver's side, she could still feel the warmth of his hand on hers.

Twenty minutes later, Hank pulled up in front of a modest one-story house. The house obviously needed some work. Kids toys were strewn about the yard and Layla felt a somber sadness come over her. Hank turned to her before getting out of the car. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to." Layla nodded.

As they approached the door, Layla stayed a step behind Hank, mostly from apprehension.

Hank rang the bell and a few moments later a disheveled woman with dark hair and a toddler on her hip opened the door.

"Sergeant Voight," she said, opening the door wider, "Please come in."

"Thank you, Mrs. Wilson."

As they entered the house, Mrs. Wilson put the toddler down on the living room floor in the middle of some brightly-colored toys. Beeps and animal sounds filled the air as the child, thankfully oblivious to what was going on, played contentedly.

Mrs. Wilson led them to the couch and she sat down to Layla's right in a chair.

"This is Layla Martin, she's been helping with your husband's case."

Layla met her eyes and offered a sympathetic smile.

"What brings you here, Sergeant Voight?" Mrs. Wilson asked, the uncertainty causing her voice to quiver.

"We've caught the man that killed your husband," Hank said, wasting no time.

Mrs. Wilson immediately broke down, tears spilling from her eyes. Layla reached over and took her hand as Hank continued. He explained some of the details to her, carefully choosing his words to protect her. Finally he said, "He'll be in prison for the rest of his life."

Mrs. Wilson nodded, trying to regain her composure.

Layla squeezed her hand and told her, "We both know what it's like to lose a spouse," with a glance over at Hank.

Mrs. Wilson looked at them both as if seeing them in a new light. As if she couldn't believe they could still function.

"And I know how bad you're hurting right now," Layla continued. "But that beautiful boy over there needs you and I promise you, if you just keep getting up each day and putting one foot in front of the other, you _will_ get through this."

Mrs. Wilson's crying had stopped. She looked up at Layla and the two just sat there for a moment, still grasping each other's hands. Finally, Mrs. Wilson nodded and said, "Thank you."

She looked over at Hank. "Both of you."

Hank nodded, then slipped his hand into his jacket pocket. Both women were surprised when he pulled out a thick brown envelope, clearly filled with a large amount of cash. Hank sat it on the coffee table.

"This should help you get by for a while, until the military can get your benefits sorted out. Unfortunately, it's a long process."

Mrs. Wilson stood and so did Layla and Hank. With fresh tears in her eyes, she walked over to Hank and hugged him. "Thank you, Sergeant. Layla." She added with a nod and reached over to squeeze her hand.

Mrs. Wilson picked up her son from the floor and followed them to the door. As they walked out she said, "Thank you, both," and placed a kiss on the top of her son's head.

Once they were back in the car, Hank started to crank it but Layla stopped him, her hand on his arm. "Wait. I'm assuming that money wasn't department issued?"

Hank turned to her, no change in his expression. "You'd be assuming correctly."

She didn't say anything else, just held his gaze for a moment. Then she nodded. It dawned on her that she didn't really care where it came from, she was glad Mrs. Wilson had something to help her get back on her feet.

Hank was surprised when Layla dropped it, lifting her hand from his arm and pulling her seatbelt on. He'd been ready with a vague answer, one that wouldn't incriminate her but would quell her curiosity. She hadn't needed it.

"Alright," she smiled, changing the subject, "I need a drink, let's go."


	6. Chapter 6

**"A Risk Worth Taking" - Chapter Six**

When Hank and Layla arrived at Molly's, they found the rest of Intelligence holding down two tables in the back corner.

Layla squeezed in beside Kim and Hank sat across the table between Adam and Kevin.

"Feeling better?" Kim whispered to Layla. "Yeah, thanks girl."

Otis came by the table to check on refills. "Oh, hey, Layla. What are you doing with these guys?" He joked.

Layla had met Otis, and all the guys at Firehouse 51, the first day she moved home. A lot of them helped her move boxes and unload her U-Haul, per her brother-in-law's insistence.

"Hey, Otis! I'm helping these guys celebrate. They caught the bad guy today!"

Antonio interrupted before Otis could respond, "In large part to Layla's help!"

With that, everyone at the table cheered, causing heads to turn. Layla laughed and waved them off with her hand. "Guys, come on. I hardly did anything."

Otis, feeling a little like he was on the outside of an inside joke, said, "Well, what can I get you?"

"Um…" Layla considered for a moment. "I'll have two fingers of Jack, neat."

Otis nodded and turned to Hank. "For you?"

Layla was whispering something to Kim and didn't notice Adam and Jay smirking at each other, impressed with her drink choice.

"I'll have the same." Hank said, looking across the table at Layla, and liking her more by the minute. Otis noticed him watching her as he asked the rest of the table if they wanted refills. He was met with a loud and unanimous yes.

As Otis headed to the bar to get their drinks, Hailey said, "Layla, you should have seen C.C. cave in interrogation. It was incredible."

The others laughed, remembering. Jay said, "Yeah, Sarge was in there for like three minutes. I think that's a new record."

Adam shook his head, "No, remember that Greg Tauler guy? Boss broke him in less than three." Everyone nodded, and looked at Hank appreciatively.

"Alright, alright." Hank said, waving them off.

Herrmann came back with their drinks. "Layla," he said loudly, "Don't forget your babysitting tomorrow, so don't you need to go home like now?" Herrmann asked, looking at his watch and casting a sideways look at Voight.

Layla scoffed, "Chris it's like 9:00 PM. I promise I will be there bright-eyed and bushy-tailed first thing in the morning."

"Okay, you better be." Herrmann said, pointing at Layla before walking away to take care of another table.

As they sipped their drinks, the group settled into comfortable conversation. Layla told them all a little more about herself and in turn, got to know each of them much better. After their second round, the night turned into seeing who could tell the most embarrassing story about someone else at the table - their laughter getting louder and louder until other customers' heads started turning.

Layla really felt at home among the team. She enjoyed the way they all clearly loved each other. They were a family, and she felt privileged that they'd invited her in so easily.

Glancing at her phone and realizing it was already 11:00 PM, Layla said, "Guys, it has been a blast, but I've got to get home if I'm going to babysit the Herrmann monsters tomorrow."

Layla glanced up at Hank to remind him he had driven her there, but he was already standing and reaching into his pocket for some cash.

Layla hugged Hailey and Kim goodnight, then turned to the table. "Thanks for letting me join you tonight. I guess I'll see you next week because I never got to finish the software updates."

"Can't wait." Jay said with a smile, obviously flirting, before he took a sip of his beer.

As the rest of the table told her goodnight, she felt Hank's hand at the small of her back again. As they headed to the door, he guided her through the now over-crowded bar and outside to fresh air.

Once they got outside, they stopped and stood on the sidewalk - the cold air and the quiet a welcome change.

"That was so much fun. I love those guys." Layla announced, a smile on her face.

Hank laughed, "Yeah, their alright."

Layla playfully hit Hank on the shoulder. "Oh come on, you know you love them. I think each one of them would take a bullet for you."

The laughter faded from his face and he said seriously, "I would for them."

Layla nodded, not doubting him for a second.

The pair slowly started walking towards Hank's SUV, which was parked around the corner from the bar. Layla talked mostly, thinking out loud as to what the rest of her weekend would hold - fort making, video games and breaking up fights. She hoped she could get a little time with her niece so they could do something 'girly' like have a tea party.

Layla was still talking when they rounded the corner of the building and a car backfired loudly. Immediately, Hank pushed her against the wall and covered her body with his, acting as a shield for what they both thought was a gunshot. Layla was breathing hard, panic in her chest, when Hank said a moment later. "Sorry, just a car."

Neither of them moved. They both stood face to face, breathing heavily, saying nothing.

Layla's heart was racing, and not because of the panic anymore, it was the feel of his warm body against hers. The smell of his skin, like sandalwood, leather and soap. Before she had time to process what she was doing, she leaned forward and placed her lips on his in a soft kiss.

Parting, the cold and the adrenaline causing her buzz to wear off quickly, she blushed and looked at his chest.

"I'm sorry."

Hank brought his hand up to her chin and gently lifted her face to look at him. She met his eyes and saw something there that made her stomach do flips. Something she hadn't seen in a long time - desire.

Hank leaned in and kissed her, his hands sliding around her waist. Layla deepened the kiss and was rewarded with a low, moan that caused a slow burn low in her belly. Her hands found their way to Hank's neck, the heat from his skin warming her fingers instantly.

The sound of approaching laughter and talking caused them to part suddenly. Hank wiped her lipstick off his lips with the back of his hand and Layla cleared her throat as Antonio and Kevin rounded the corner.

"Hey, I thought you guys were long gone." Antonio said, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"We are." Layla said simply, "Goodnight guys."

Antonio and Kevin looked to Hank out of instinct. He met both their eyes as if he was challenging them to ask another question. They backed off.

"Goodnight." Kevin said, and the pair watched as Hank and Layla got into the SUV and drove away.

After a few seconds, Antonio turned to Kevin. "Okay, I'm not crazy right. Did we just interrupt something?"

Kevin ran his hand over his mouth, eyes wide in amused disbelief. "Dawg, Layla's lipstick was smudged as hell."

Though they had been leaving, Kevin and Antonio turned and headed back inside to tell the group what they'd seen.

Hank and Layla rode in silence back to her apartment. When they got there, Hank helped her out and walked her to her door.

Layla had spent the whole ride home thinking of reason after reason that they shouldn't kiss again. He was her superior. He was older. He had a reputation. But after every reason, she said to herself, "So what?"

Layla put the key in the lock but didn't turn it. She looked up at Hank, her eyes dark with desire, and unconsciously bit her bottom lip. Hank couldn't help himself. He took her hand and pulled her close.

"If you want me to stop, just say so." Hank told her, looking at her face for some kind of indication of how she wanted this to go. He figured she'd been thinking of reasons why it shouldn't go any further, it wasn't hard to imagine.

Layla lifted her eyes to his and whispered, "Kiss me."

Hank kissed her hard this time, both having awoken something in each other that had long been dormant. His hands roamed her body, her little sighs of pleasure driving him crazy. Layla's hands found their way under his jacket and to his back, pulling him closer against her.

When Layla felt the urge to go for his belt buckle, she forced herself to back up.

"Okay," she said, breathing heavily, little puffs of condensation appearing in the cold air.

Hank was still looking at her with a dangerous look in his eyes. She wanted to kiss him again but forced herself to take another step back.

"We can't do this. Not like this." They'd only technically known each other for a few days.

They both stood there, breathing heavily.

Unexpectedly, guilt washed over Layla at the thought of her husband's folded flag just on the other side of the wall.

Tears sprang into her eyes as she looked up at Hank and whispered, "I'm not ready. I just need some time."

Immediately, Hank understood. He pulled Layla to him and hugged her. When he heard her sniffling, he placed a kiss on the top of her head and said, "Whenever you're ready, I'll be here."

They stood like that for a few moments, Layla grateful for his comfort and understanding.

Then, to lighten the mood, Hank said, "Just don't forget about me when Jay makes a move on you next week. He just can't help himself when there's a new girl around Intelligence."

Layla laughed and snuggled closer against his chest, mumbling, "I won't."

Finally, she pulled away and stepped back to look into his eyes.

"Goodnight, Hank."

Hank watched as she walked inside her apartment and closed the door. He waited to hear the deadbolt click before he let out a huge sigh. It'd been a long time since he'd felt this way, and if she needed to take it slow, he was on board. Because for the first time in a long time, Hank felt like he might have stumbled on something good, something happy, and he wasn't going to let it go without a fight.


	7. Chapter 7

**"A Risk Worth Taking" - Chapter Seven**

Layla spent the weekend at her sister's house, looking after her niece and nephews. Cindy and Chris had taken a much needed weekend vacation, and Layla was happy to watch the kids for them; but by the time 7:00 PM rolled around on Sunday night, she was exhausted.

Layla was sitting on the couch watching "Trolls" with the kids when they heard a key in the door knob. Chris burst through the door, shouting, "We're home," and the kids bombarded he and Cindy with hugs.

Layla paused the movie and stood, helping the couple get their bags in the door.

"How was it?" Layla asked her sister.

"The house Christopher rented was just beautiful. It was right on the lake. We woke up whenever we wanted, drank coffee on the deck in silence and just relaxed!" Chris gave his wife a sly grin, indicating that that wasn't all they did, and Cindy blushed.

Layla smirked. "Mm hmm. Ok, well I'm glad you had a good time."

The two women walked into the kitchen while Chris plopped on the couch with the kids and resumed the movie.

"How were the kids?" Cindy asked, pulling a bottle of Chardonnay from the fridge. "You look like you could use a glass." She told Layla with a smile.

Layla let out a tired laugh, "Yeah, I could. The kids were great, I'm just beat. I don't know how you do this everyday."

Cindy poured them each a glass of wine and sat down at the kitchen island beside her sister. "You get used to never sleeping." Cindy told her, taking a sip.

Layla sat there for a few minutes just looking at her glass. The two women could hear Chris in the other room playing with the kids, their infectious giggles made Cindy smile.

Noticing that Layla was just staring at her glass, Cindy asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Layla told her, but Cindy knew it was a lie. She reached out and touched sister's arm, saying softly, "Tell me."

Layla looked around to make sure the kids were out of ear shot.

"I kissed someone."

Cindy knew her sister had been on a few dates since her husband had died, but she never cared enough to go on a second one. She knew if Layla had kissed someone, she must really be interested.

Cindy smiled, "Layla, that's great!"

Layla smiled, briefly recalling how she felt with Hank's lips on hers.

"It was. I just," Layla sighed when tears burned her eyes, frustrated that she had been so emotional lately, "I feel guilty."

She didn't need to explain, Cindy understood what she meant. Cindy slid off her stool and wrapped her arms around her sister. "Honey, you have no reason to feel guilty. Jake would want you to be happy."

Layla sniffed and nodded.

"I know, you're right. It's just hard. I don't know how to make that feeling go away."

Cindy rubbed Layla's back like their mother used to do. "If you really like this person, take it slow and be up front with him. I think once you get used to not being alone, you'll be able to start allowing yourself to be happy, without the guilt."

Layla nodded, feeling a little better, and took a sip of her wine.

"Is it anyone I may know?" Cindy asked.

"Based on your husband's reaction to me working with him, I feel sure you do. Hank Voight?"

Cindy's eyes widened and she choked on the sip of wine she's just taken. Clearing her throat, the tried to act casual as she placed her glass back on the counter.

"He's older than you. Than me." Cindy observed, keeping her tone even so Layla wasn't sure if she was judging or not.

"I know. But that doesn't matter to me." Layla told her.

Cindy started to say something else, but Layla interrupted her. "If you're going to list all the reasons why we shouldn't pursue something together, save it. I've already heard it. I'm just telling you I feel a connection to him that I haven't felt with anyone since…" Layla trailed off and Cindy met her eyes with sympathy.

Layla was surprised when her sister smiled.

"You know, before she got sick," Cindy started, "Hank's wife, Camille, used to plan all of the children's activities at church. You know, like nativity plays and sunday school for the kids."

"Every year since she died, the church has gotten a large donation from an anonymous donor, indicating that the funds should be used for children's activities. I've always suspected that it's Hank."

Cindy looked at Layla. "I'm not saying the man is perfect, because God only knows where he's getting that money," Cindy told her sister with a serious look in her eyes, "but I can acknowledge that there's more to Hank Voight than his reputation."

Cindy reached out and covered her sister's hand with her own. "Please be careful."

"I will." Layla assured her.

Once she was back at her apartment, Layla turned on some music and finished unpacking the last of her boxes. She had just finished with the last box when her phone rang. Without checking the caller ID, she paused the music and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey. How was babysitting?" Hank's gravelly voice asked on the other end.

Layla felt her heart beat faster at the sound of his voice. They hadn't talked since he'd dropped her off Friday night.

"Well let's see, I broke up three fights, cleaned up the kitchen about fifty times and got a total of seven hours of sleep all weekend."

Hank laughed.

Layla walked into her bedroom and laid down across the bed. "No, it was great. I love those kids." Layla said, remembering the feel of Annabelle asleep against her chest.

"So what did you do this weekend?" Layla asked Hank.

"I caught up on some paperwork down at the precinct and hung out with some guys at this social club I'm a part of, played some poker."

"Hmmm." Layla said in response, her eyelids heavy now that she'd laid down.

"Do you think you'll be finished updating the Intelligence computers after tomorrow?"

"Mhmm." Layla mumbled.

Hank let out a small laugh, realizing she was falling asleep.

"Get some sleep, Layla. I'll see you tomorrow." Hank said, the low rumble of his voice soothing her.

"Goodnight, Hank…" Layla whispered, before slipping into a heavy sleep.

Layla showed up at the precinct right at 8:00 AM and ran into Kim. "Oh good, someone to buzz me upstairs." Kim smiled, but there was something mischievous behind it.

"What?" Layla asked.

Kim pulled her into the vacant office at the bottom of the stairs and pushed the door closed.

"What's going on with you and Sarge?" Kim asked, her arms folded across her chest.

Layla didn't say anything.

"Because Antonio and Kevin said they are pretty sure they interrupted something Friday night outside of Molly's?" Kim raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, okay," Layla caved, "we kissed. That's all that's happened. It wasn't planned or anything."

Kim mouthed "oh my gosh" to herself, her eyes wide, as she took a step closer to Layla.

"Kim look, I haven't really dated anyone since my husband died." Kim's expression became more serious.

"I'm not even sure what we're doing. All I know is we're taking it really slow… like, snail paced."

Kim put her hand on Layla's arm.

"I think it's great. Really. I honestly can't think of anyone Voight has dated since I've been involved with Intelligence. You two could be good for each other. He's been through a lot recently."

Layla nodded. The group had briefly told her about Olinsky's death at Molly's the other night. Hank had excused himself to go to the bathroom as soon as his name was brought up.

"Thanks Kim. Just, please keep this between us."

Kim nodded. "For sure. The other guys are curious but I'll keep them off your back." Kim winked at her. Layla really liked Kim and was glad Chris has introduced them.

"Thanks girl."

Kim opened the office door and walked towards the staircase. Layla turned to grab her bag off the desk to follow her. She was pulling it over her shoulder as she walked through the doorway and ran right into Hank.

He initially looked pissed but once he realized who it was, his expression softened.

"Layla."

Kim raised an eyebrow at her, then buzzed herself up to Intelligence, leaving them standing there.

At the desk, Trudy was watching the whole thing.

"Good morning." Layla smiled at him, honestly happy to see him. She tried to ignore the butterflies.

"Morning." He answered, a smile on his face.

They stood there a second too long, just looking at each other. Hank had touched her arm to steady her when they bumped into each other but hadn't moved it. Instead, he rubbed his thumb back and forth over her skin.

Finally he said, "Let's head up."

Layla followed him as he scanned his fingerprint and unlocked the gate up to Intelligence.

Trudy watched them go, her mouth slightly open. Had she just seen what she thought she'd seen?

"Um, Sergeant Platt?"

Trudy turned back to the officers waiting for their patrol car assignments.

"Yeah, yeah, Summers. Hold your horses."


	8. Chapter 8

**"A Risk Worth Taking" - Chapter 8**

Intelligence caught a new case while Layla was finishing up the software updates. A tender-aged male was found brutally tortured and left for dead. Layla got to see the Hank Voight that she'd only heard stories about when he started barking orders to his team and making damn sure they knew this case had to be solved - no matter what it took.

Around 3:00 PM, Layla finished her work and packed up her laptop. Everyone was out chasing down leads except Hank, who was in his office reviewing crime scene photos.

Hank looked up when Layla knocked on his door and waved her in. As soon as she entered he quickly closed the folder.

Hank ran his hand over his face, as if trying to clear the images from his mind, and sat back in his chair.

"I'm sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to let you know I'm done with the updates. So I'll be reporting back to Jerry for my next assignment." Layla told him.

"Thanks for getting that done so fast."

"No problem." Layla told him.

They were both silent for a moment, as if trying to decide what to say. They both realized this was the last time, at least for a while, that they'd see each other at work.

"Hank, I wanted to…" Before Layla could finish, Hank's cell phone rang. He looked at Layla apologetically before answering it.

"Voight."

Layla watched as anger clouded his face. "Okay, I'll be right there."

He was already standing and grabbing his coat as he ended the call.

"We've got another tender-aged victim at a similar crime scene."

Layla stood and waved him on. "Go, go. We can talk later."

She watched as he turned and headed towards the stairs, glad he was on the case. If anyone was going to catch this sick bastard, it would be Hank Voight and his team.

—

Layla headed downstairs and stopped at the desk to speak to Trudy. "Hey Trudy, I'm all finished upstairs so I guess I'll see you around." Layla pouted her lips, sad that she would have to leave the friends she'd made in precinct 21.

"Sad to hear that Layla. Too bad Intelligence caught such a rough case on your last day. Kind of a sour note to go out on." Trudy said.

"Yeah," Layla glanced over at the stairs, "but I know they'll get the guy."

Trudy met Layla's eyes and nodded in agreement. "They will."

An officer behind the desk interrupted, asking Trudy a question, and Layla realized she should get out of her hair.

"Well, I better get going but I'm all settled in at my place if you're still interested in coming over to listen to some records?"

Trudy smiled, "Yeah, that'd be great."

The two talked and decided on that coming Friday night. Layla headed out to her car and back to the IT office in the Ivory Tower to get her next assignment.

Her next assignment had Layla doing the same traffic cam software updates in precinct 9. It was a much slower-paced precinct and no one there really welcomed her. She came in, did her updates, and went home.

Layla had texted Kim throughout the week, and though she couldn't get into details, Kim did tell her that their case was still unsolved.

Layla wanted to call Hank, if for no other reason than to voice her support for the team, but she knew if the case was still ongoing he would be working around the clock.

Before she realized it, Friday night had arrived. Layla was excited to have Trudy over. She liked the older woman, she was bold and funny.

Layla was just taking a lasagna out of the oven when there was a knock at her door.

"Trudy, you're early," Layla said as she opened the door.

She was surprised to see Hank standing on the other side. He looked like hell.

"Hank, are you okay?" Layla put her hand on his arm and coaxed him into the apartment.

He didn't say anything for a minute, just sat down on the couch, Layla sitting down beside him.

Finally Hank said, "We got the guy."

Layla let out a sigh and said, "That's great."

But Hank's expression didn't change. He looked distant. Sad.

Hank wasn't sure why exactly he was at Layla's. Normally, he would have gone home and drank himself to sleep after a case like this. But after what he'd seen, he wasn't quite ready to be alone with his thoughts.

Finally, Hank said, "That was one of the most brutal cases I have ever worked."

Layla reached down to hold Hank's hand in support and he flinched. Looking down, she saw his knuckles were raw, covered in dried blood.

She raised her eyes to his and knew instantly, he'd spent a little one on one time with the murderer.

"Let me get something to clean this for you."

As Layla stood, there was a knock at the door. She'd momentarily forgotten that Trudy was coming over.

As soon as Layla opened the door, Trudy started talking. "Layla, I hope you like red wine because this bottle of cab is out of this world." Trudy walked in and her eyes landed on Hank.

"Oh. Hi Hank."

"Trudy. Sorry, I didn't realize you two had plans. I'll just head out." Hank started to get up but Trudy stopped him.

"No, no, no. You stay, I'll go." Trudy had known Hank long enough to know he was in a bad place right now. She'd heard some details on the case Intelligence had been working and she was glad she didn't know more. It sounded incredibly brutal. Plus, she was a fan of this potential Hank/Layla relationship and decided she was going to help it along a little.

Layla watched as Trudy and Hank met eyes and seemed to have some unspoken conversation. Years of history obvious between them.

"Thanks Trudy."

Trudy nodded and turned back to the door. "No sweat, Hank. Here," Trudy turned to Layla and handed her the bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon she'd been carrying. Layla was going to object but Trudy widened her eyes at her, and tilted her head slightly towards Hank. Layla nodded.

"Thanks Trudy. We'll reschedule okay?"

After seeing Trudy out, Layla went into the bathroom and got some rubbing alcohol, bandages and ointment.

Hank was quiet while she cleaned the wounds on his hands.

"All done." Layla said softly when his hands were cleaned and bandaged.

"Thanks." He met her eyes and said nothing, grateful she was there.

"Have you eaten?" Layla asked as she stood, walking backwards to the kitchen. To lighten the mood, she said in a sing-sing voice, "I just took a lasagna out of the oven." Hank smiled, starting to come back to the present. It made her happy that she could distract him from his thoughts.

"That sounds great."

Layla put on some soft music before they both headed into the kitchen. She fixed them each a plate with a small salad, lasagna and garlic bread. Then she opened the bottle of red that Trudy had left and poured them each a glass.

While she did that, Hank stood in front of her fridge which was covered in photos of Layla with her friends from North Carolina, Layla with her niece and nephews, with her sister and brother-in-law. Once Layla had everything on the table, she walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Let's eat, Sergeant." Layla teased and Hank let out a small laugh as he sat down across from her at the kitchen table.

After one bite of the lasagna, Hank put his fork down and looked at her. "Beautiful, smart, and a great cook. I see you're the whole package." Layla laughed.

"Well I'm glad you think so." Layla told him, a flirty look in her eye.

From that point on, Hank was able to put the case in the back of his mind. The two enjoyed the meal together and got to know each other better. Hank talked about why he became a cop, told Layla all about Erin, and talked fondly about his friend Al. For the first time since his death, Hank was able to hear his name without wanting to be sick on his stomach.

Layla enjoyed watching Hank relax. She was having a great time just talking with him.

When they settled into a comfortable silence, Layla cleared the table and said, "Why don't you head back into the living room and I'll refill our wine."

Layla followed a few minutes later and sat beside him on the couch, handing him his wine glass.

"Layla," Hank said, turning not just his head but shifting his body to face her, "Thanks for letting me crash your plans tonight."

Layla smiled and took a sip of her wine. "I don't think Trudy will fault me for inviting in a handsome man that just showed up at my door."

Layla blushed and Hank let out an appreciative laugh.

"I promise I used to be better at flirting." Layla sighed, embarrassed.

Hank put his hand on her leg and looked at her. "You're doing great, don't worry."

Hank reached over and sat his wine glass on the side table, then took Layla's and did the same.

When he turned back to her, Hank leaned forward and hesitated, looking into Layla's eyes for consent. In response, Layla closed the space between them and their lips met in a gentle kiss.

This kiss was different. It was tender and patient. There was an understanding about it, as if they each saw a light breaking through the surface of the loneliness they'd been drowning in.

This kiss was full of hope.

The guilt that Layla had felt a week earlier was still there. She knew it wasn't going to disappear overnight. But now it was quiet and still, falling to the back of her mind instead of causing panic to rise in her throat.

As they parted, Hank didn't remove his hand from where it cradled Layla's cheek. Their faces close, they both looked into each other's eyes for a moment, both realizing the significance of what was just beginning between them.

Hank let his thumb slide gently along Layla's cheek bone and she closed her eyes at his touch, sighing.

Slowly, he lowered his hand and Layla opened her eyes. Without saying anything, Hank leaned back and lifted his arm, prompting Layla to slip under it and tuck herself against his side, her cheek resting on his shoulder. The music that Layla had put on earlier was still playing softly in the background and the two of them sat like that for a long time, not saying anything.

Layla was starting to drift off, Hank's warmth and comfort relaxing her, until she heard Hank clear his throat.

"It's late. I should probably go."

Layla snuggled closer to him and made a noise of protest, causing Hank to laugh. Layla could feel the rumble of it against her cheek.

Reluctantly, she pulled herself away from his side and stood up. Hank did too and they walked slowly towards the door.

"Thanks for dinner." Hank told her as they reached the door and he turned around to face her.

"Anytime."

"Listen," Hank said, "Next Saturday night there's this fancy party for the mayor's new gun control initiative. I have to go. Actually the whole team does."

Hank reached out and took her hand, a sparkle in his eyes. "Will you go with me? As my date?"

They both knew that it meant people seeing them together and talking about them.

"I'd love to."

Hank smiled and said, "I'll get all the details and get back to you."

Hank let go of her hand and turned around, opening the door. The cold air swirled in around them. Hank turned back to Layla, leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on her lips before whispering "goodnight."

Layla watched as he walked down the stairs and out of sight.


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: If anyone is curious, this is the dress I imagined Layla wearing in this chapter. Gorgeous, no?_

30-dresses-in-30-days/wedding-guest-black-tie/

 _Remember, please leave reviews if you are enjoying or have feedback! :)_

 **Chapter 9**

Layla was putting the finishing touches on her makeup when she heard a knock at her door the following Saturday night. Hank was right on time to pick her up for the mayor's party.

"Just a second!" Layla called out, checking her lipstick in the mirror one more time while putting on her earrings and hurrying to get the door.

Hank stood on the other side, looking more handsome than ever. He was wearing a classic black suit, white shirt and black tie. The suit was tailored to perfection.

Before Layla could speak, Hank took a step inside and gestured to her dress.

"You look…"

Hank's eyes took in the floor-length emerald green dress she was wearing. It complimented her auburn hair perfectly and the thin satin fell gracefully over her curves.

"...absolutely incredible." He finished, lifting his eyes to meet hers.

Layla, feeling self-conscience, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You think so? I feel a little out of my comfort zone."

Hank stepped forward and kissed her softly. "Trust me, I'll be the luckiest guy there tonight."

Layla smiled up at him and then laughed.

"What?" Hank asked, confused by her expression.

Layla reached up and wiped her thumb across his lips. "You've got some lipstick..."

Hank nodded and watched her as she wiped it away for him. He couldn't get over how beautiful she was.

"Okay, let me just grab my purse and we can go." Layla told him.

As Hank watched her cut off the lights and grab her keys, he found himself wondering how he'd been lucky enough to meet this woman. She made him feel things he hadn't felt in years. But most importantly, now that she was in his life, he felt a hope - a hope that helped him get out of bed every morning - something that had been becoming more and more difficult since Al's death.

"Ready," Layla told Hank and locked up her apartment before they headed downstairs to his SUV.

When they pulled up to the event, Layla was surprised at the scale of the party. Men and women were pouring into the building in their finest clothes and jewelry. You could already hear jazz standards being played loudly inside.

Layla felt a little nervous about the night. Officially being Hank Voight's date, she assumed there were probably a lot of people with opinions about that. Plus, she didn't exactly fit in with the rich and influential crowd.

Hank came to stand beside her in front of the building after getting the valet ticket, and extended his arm to her.

"Ready?" He asked.

Hank smiled at her and just like that, all her nerves vanished. Wrapping her hands around his arm, she nodded and they went inside.

They immediately spotted the rest of the team at a large banquet table and went to join them.

As they approached the table, Antonio let out a whistle. "Wow. Layla, you look great."

Hank pulled out her chair and Layla sat down.

"Yeah, you sure you're here with the right guy?" Jay asked, sitting up and straightening his tie, as if he was volunteering for the job, a smirk on his lips.

Layla glanced over at Hank, who was busy grabbing them two glasses of champagne from the tray of a waiter walking past, and smiled.

"Absolutely."

Jay nodded in defeat as Hank handed her a glass and sat down beside her.

"Okay," Kevin said, leaning in towards the center of the table like he had a secret.

"Let me tell y'all what this fool did when we went to question Latoya the other day." He nodded towards Adam.

"Kev, no. Come on, man." Adam complained. Kevin was struggling to hold back his laughter.

Layla turned to Hank and asked, "Who's Latoya?"

"She's a hooker that Adam's trying to turn into a C.I." Hank told her, an amused expression on his face.

Layla raised an eyebrow and turned back to the story, interested to see where this was going.

As Kevin continued the story, Layla sat back in her chair and crossed her legs, taking a sip of champagne. When she did, the split in her dress fell to the side, exposing her well-toned upper thigh. Though the dress appeared to be conservative, this was the part that made it sexy. Or that's what the boutique owner had told Layla, at least.

Layla felt a thrill of excitement when Hank leaned in, his lips almost touching her ear, and whispered, huskily, "Honey, you're killing me."

Layla watched as Hank lifted his gaze from her leg to her eyes. For a moment, it felt like they were the only two in the room. For a moment, Layla imagined his hand running up her thigh. Hank imagined more than that.

They were pulled back to the present when the table erupted into laughter, Adam's face red as a beat.

"Look man, I didn't know she had so many places she could hide the cash!" Adam said, putting his hands up in surrender.

The group enjoyed each other's company for about half an hour before the mayor got on stage to officially welcome everyone and give a speech about his new gun control initiative.

After that, the party was in full swing. Hank, along with the rest of Intelligence, had been instructed to work the room by their deputy commissioner. The mayor wanted his campaign contributors to see how involved the Chicago PD was with his cause.

Over the next hour, Layla was introduced to so many people that they became a blur. A few seemed to genuinely be Hank's friends, but the rest he simply talked to out of obligation.

Many couples who approached them to talk were Hank's age. While the men talked, some of the wives would cast Layla judging looks. Hank, of course, noticed this early on and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry about them."

Layla smiled at him. "It doesn't bother me," she assured him, pressing herself closer to his side and rubbing her hand across his back.

As they continued their rounds, Layla spotted Kim across the room and they smiled at each other. The two women hadn't had a chance lately to catch up so they had plans for brunch and pedicures the following day. Layla had also invited Trudy but she wasn't sure yet if she was going to come.

When a man approached them and Hank hugged him fondly, Layla turned her attention back to him.

"Layla, this is Jamal Tyson."

"Nice to meet you." Layla smiled, shaking his hand.

"Jamal and I worked together when he was a rookie on the brand new cyber crimes unit," Hank told Layla, smiling when her expression changed from bored to interested. "Now he's running a Fortune 500 IT company."

Jamal looked embarrassed. "Yeah, that seems like a lifetime ago doesn't it?" Jamal asked Hank, who laughed and said, "You're telling me."

"Hank taught me a lot," Jamal told Layla. "Helped me out of jam or two, if I recall." The two men nodded at each other in recollection.

"So what do you do, Layla?" Jamal asked.

When Layla explained her role at the department, Jamal started asking her a million questions. Hank couldn't follow most of it but he did enjoy the way Layla's face lit up as they talked. He regretted that he hadn't asked her more about her job earlier, and vowed to do so in the future.

"That's amazing." Jamal said. "Things sure have changed from when I was with the department."

"Well look," Jamal slipped his hand into his jacket pocket and handed Layla a business card, "if you ever want to see what's available outside the department, please call me. I'm always looking for new talent."

Then turning to Hank, Jamal said, "I never pictured you with a computer geek, Hank."

Hank smiled and looked at Layla affectionately, "Things change, Jamal."

Jamal smiled. "That they do. Listen, it was great to see you. Don't be a stranger, okay?"

Hank agreed and the two men hugged.

"It was nice to meet you, Layla." Jamal said, shaking her hand before he made his way across the room.

"I like him." Layla said, turning to Hank now that they were alone.

Hank turned to her and smiled, an expression of contentment on his face.

"You've been incredible tonight." He told her.

"Just don't quiz me on anyone's names cause I got nothing. Except Jamal."

Hank nodded, amused.

Almost everyone was on the dance floor at this point, the night becoming more relaxed.

Layla thought it was strange when Hank checked his watch before asking, "Would you like to dance?"

She smiled at him suspiciously but took his hand, allowing him to lead her out onto the dancefloor. They ended up next to Antonio and Kim, who were laughing more than they were dancing.

Shortly after they stepped onto the dance floor, the recognizable opening rift of "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton poured out over the speaker system. The song was very different from what the DJ had been playing all night and many guests picked their heads up to look around.

Layla did too, confused, before her gaze landed on Hank's face. He was smiling.

"Did you do this?" She asked, impressed.

Hank just shrugged and Layla felt her chest tighten with happiness. She couldn't help the huge smile that spread across her face.

As they danced, Layla leaned in and whispered, "If you're trying to get lucky tonight, Sergeant, your odds are looking really good."

Hank raised his eyebrows in surprise and cleared his throat.

"What are you to whispering about?" Antonio asked, where he and Kim were still dancing a few feet away.

"Mind your own business, Dawson." Hank told him.

When the song ended, Hank said, "I'm going to go to the bar and get us some real drinks. I'll meet you back at the table in five."

Before Hank could leave, Layla snaked her hand up his chest and pulled on his tie, bringing his face closer to hers. She kissed him once, smiled devilishly, then let him go.

Back at the table, Layla found herself alone. The rest of the team was still either on the dance floor or socializing.

Taking a moment to check her phone, Layla smiled when she saw a text from Cindy. It included a picture of a drawing from her niece, Annabelle. Cindy captioned it "A Portrait of Aunt Layla." It was just a bunch of squiggly crayon lines but it made Layla's heart full.

Sensing someone approaching and, figuring it was Hank, Layla started talking before she looked up. "You have got to see this picture Annabelle drew, it is…"

Layla stopped once she looked up and realized it wasn't Hank, but her boss, Jerry, who'd approached her.

"Oh. Jerry. Hi. I didn't expect to see you here."

"Hi Layla. Yeah, my cousin is an alderman who is pretty close with the mayor so…"

He said it with such ego that it made Layla want to roll her eyes. She resisted.

"So I see you're here with Hank Voight." Jerry stated. It wasn't a question.

"Yes." Layla said, wondering why it was any of his business.

"Hmm." Jerry nodded, processing that. "So what is it you hope to gain by sleeping with the head of the Intelligence Unit? You want their ever-vacant IT spot? I think you have to be a cop for that but you never know… maybe you're more talented than I imagine." Jerry raised his eyebrows suggestively and looked her up and down, slowly.

Layla's mouth fell open. For a moment, she couldn't form words.

"Excuse me?" She asked.

"Well, I mean, I've asked you out a dozen times and you don't want anything to do with me. I'm the one with connections." Jerry gestured towards the mayor. "Voight is a dinosaur. So you must be after something."

Layla stood up, getting angrier by the second and stepped closer to Jerry.

"I am not trying to sleep my way into anything. I like Hank."

"Besides," Layla said, looking Jerry up and down, "you never had a chance."

At her words, Jerry looked like he'd been slapped and didn't say anything for a moment. Layla's heart was racing and she tried to still her shaking hands.

"Everything okay here?" Hank's voice said as he approached them, coming to stand beside Layla. He had seen them from across the room and could tell something wasn't right.

"Ah, here he is now. Hank Voight." Jerry tried to regain his composure. "The man who got me kicked out of cyber crimes."

Voight rolled his tongue and turned his head to one side. "Jerry. You not being able to keep it in your pants got you kicked off cyber crimes. I was just solving my case."

Jerry nodded, clearly not agreeing with Hank's version of the story.

Hank, tired of this prick, took a step forward, angling himself between Jerry and Layla.

"Jerry. Why don't you walk away before this goes in a direction you're not going to like."

Jerry smirked, satisfied that he'd gotten a rise out of them both.

"Some things never change, Voight." Then turning to Layla, he said, "See you Monday."

As Jerry walked away, Layla let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

"What happened?" Hank asked her, concern clouding his expression. Layla put her hands on his arms and he could feel them shaking.

"He said I was trying to sleep my way into Intelligence's IT spot or something like that. Then he…"

Hank started to turn and go after Jerry, her words starting a fire of rage in his chest. But before he could follow him, Layla grabbed his arm.

"Hank, please… Don't."

Hank hesitated, but when he looked back and saw the apprehension in Layla's eyes, his anger deflated.

"He said if I wanted to get ahead I shouldn't have turned him down because he's the one with connections."

Hank scoffed.

"Should I be worried?" Layla asked him, feeling very unsettled.

Hank's face hardened, pissed that Jerry had her feeling this way.

"Look, I'll take care of it…"

"No. Hank, I've only been at this job for two months. I really like it. Maybe I can just file a complaint with HR and he'll step back."

Hank didn't think so but he could see she didn't want his help.

"Okay. Maybe. But if he does anything," Hank put his hands on her shoulders and tilted his head down to make direct eye contact with Layla, "and I mean anything out of the way, you call me ASAP, you understand?"

Layla bit her lip and nodded, hoping that never happened.

"You want to get out of here?" Hank asked, sensing that Layla was done with the whole party scene.

"Yes, please."

Hank drove back to Layla's apartment. Like the first night they'd kissed, the ride was mostly silent, but this time there was a peaceful feeling between them. Hank held her hand on the console between them as he drove.

When they got there, Hank walked her to the door. He'd ditched his jacket and tie as soon as they'd left the party, unbuttoning the top few buttons of his dress shirt and partly rolling up his sleeves.

He hesitated when she unlocked the door and started to go in. It was after midnight and he figured she'd want to call it a night, especially after what happened with Jerry.

Layla turned back when she realized he didn't follow her in and walked over to where he stood in the doorway.

She stood close to him for a second, just looking into his eyes before her hands made their way to his chest. "Aren't you coming inside, Sargeant?"

The playfulness he loved about her was back.

Deciding to play into the role, since she seemed to like calling him Sargeant when she was feeling flirty, Hank said, "Is there a crime you need to report, m'am?"

Layla threw her head back and laughed as they made their way further into the living room, delighted that he was playing along.

"Yes." She said, walking towards another room and looking back at him over her shoulder.

"It's a crime that I'm still wearing this dress, don't you think?"

She winked at him before entering the bedroom and leaving his sight.

Hank stood there for a minute, an impressed grin on his face, before following her into the bedroom.

That night, Hank and Layla made love for the first time.

What started out as playful seduction turned into something tender and beautiful. They both felt a piece of themselves return that had been missing for a long time.

For the first time since Jake's death, Layla felt whole. She felt comforted. She felt loved.

Hank kissed her tenderly as she climaxed, muffling her cries with his lips as she rode the wave of pleasure. Her urgent cries turned into satisfied whispers as she said his name over and over, her hands roaming his back and his sides. Hank came soon after.

As he laid beside her catching his breath, Layla rolled onto her side and trailed her fingers across his chest. They laid in bed like that, trading gentle kisses and whispers, until Layla fell asleep in Hank's arms.


	10. Chapter 10

When Hank woke up the next morning, it took him a moment to realize where he was. It'd been a long time since he'd woken up somewhere other than his own bed.

As flashbacks to the previous night began to play in his mind, Hank smiled. He was sad to see that Layla wasn't in bed.

Sitting up, he heard noises in the kitchen and caught the scent of freshly brewed coffee.

Hank got up and headed to the bathroom off of the bedroom. After freshening up, he pulled on his dress pants and undershirt that he'd worn the night before.

When Hank came into the kitchen, Layla was sitting at the table drinking coffee and working on her laptop. Apparently, she'd already showered and was looking adorable in jeans and a striped top, thick-rimmed black-framed glasses on, hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"Good morning." Hank said, his voice even rougher than normal having just woken up.

"Good morning." Layla replied, a smile on her lips.

"I didn't know you wore glasses?" Hank said, pouring himself a cup of coffee and leaning against the kitchen counter as he took a sip.

Layla closed her laptop and stood, walking over to him.

"They're for eye fatigue, from looking at computer screens all day."

"They're cute." Hank told her, smiling at her over the rim of his coffee mug as she approached him.

Layla slid the glasses off and sat them on the counter as Hank put his mug down. She stepped into his arms and kissed him, wasting no time in deepening the kiss, recalling memories of the previous night. Hank pulled her close and moaned as Layla's hands slipped under his t-shirt, her hands sliding around to his back, pulling him closer.

As they kissed, Hank turned them so that Layla's back was pressed against the counter. His lips made their way to her neck and she sighed deeply.

"Wait…" she said, distracted. She knew there was something she had to do - to tell him.

Hank's hands slipped under her shirt as he continued the trail of kisses down her neck, to her collar bone. Layla couldn't focus.

When Hank lifted her up suddenly and sat her on the counter, a ravenous look in his eye, she remembered what she was trying to say.

"Whoa cowboy. As much as I," Layla leaned down and kissed him deeply, " _really_ want to do this. I have plans with Kim and Trudy in a few."

Hank sighed and let his head fall to rest on her shoulder in frustration, causing Layla to laugh.

Hank kissed her one more time, then backed up and helped her off the counter.

Layla reached up and ran her hand along his cheek, the stubble there rough against her skin.

"Rain check though?" She asked.

"Absolutely."

Layla walked back over to the table and retrieved her coffee mug, taking a sip as Hank leaned against the counter and did the same. The normalcy of sharing morning coffee together was a welcome change for both of them.

"So, what are you three doing?" Hank asked, curious.

"Brunch, with what I hope to be many, many mimosas, followed by pedicures."

"Kim said she needed a break from all that Intelligence testosterone," Layla waived her hand at him since he represented the unit, "so I suggested a girls day."

Hank laughed. "Trudy is going on a girls day?"

Layla made a face. "Well, I invited her. I wasn't really clear on if she's coming or not. We're all meeting at Cafe Luna in…" Layla looked at the time on the oven clock, "Oh, shit. I'm late. I haven't even called an Uber yet."

"I'll drive you. Let me just get my stuff." Hank told her, sitting his mug down on the counter. Layla watched as he walked into the bedroom and couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.

When Hank returned, he had his dress shirt on. His gun and badge were clipped to his belt.

Hank approached her and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"Last night was…"

He wasn't exactly sure how to describe it, so he didn't. But when Layla looked into his eyes, he knew it meant as much to her as it had to him.

"Yeah." She said softly, suddenly overwhelmed by emotions.

Hank kissed her tenderly.

"Okay," he said, looking around and patting his pockets.

"Just help me find my keys and we'll go."

After hunting for a few minutes, Layla finally found Hank's keys on the floor, underneath the dress she'd been wearing the night before. As she knelt down to pick them up, flashbacks of Hank taking the dress off of her filled her mind.

Hank cleared his throat and Layla jumped, turning to see him standing in the bedroom doorway.

"Found them." She said, lifting them up and jingling them as she stood, her cheeks flushed.

"Let's go."

Kim and Trudy both arrived at Cafe Luna before Layla and grabbed a table by the front window.

After ordering coffee, both women sat in an uncomfortable silence for a moment before Kim said, "So, Sergeant, did you have a good weekend?"

Trudy rolled her eyes and said, "Kim, we're off duty. You can call me Trudy."

A surprised, and slightly pleased, expression crossed Kim's face before she smiled and said, "Okay. Trudy."

Both women cringed a little at the unusual sound of Kim using the sargeants first name. But it was something they'd have to get used to when hanging out with Layla.

"So I hear the mayor's shin-dig was a big deal last night. Anything exciting happen?" Trudy asked.

"Not really. Just the usual schmoozing."

Trudy nodded and took a sip of her coffee.

"And Hank brought Layla?"

Kim nodded. "Yeah. Oh! Let me show you her dress."

Kim pulled out her phone and pulled up the photos she'd taken from the previous night. Trudy swiped through the photos.

"You guys clean up nice." Trudy observed, swiping through a few photos of Intelligence before landing on a candid picture Kim had taken of Layla and Hank from across the table. Hank was smiling at something she was saying.

Trudy let out a huff, a small smile on her lips.

"What?" Kim asked, curious which photo she was looking at.

"Hank smiling. Haven't seen that in a while."

"Yeah." Kim agreed.

When Trudy got to a bunch of selfies Kim had taken, she handed the phone back to her. Kim quickly put the phone back in her purse.

Trudy looked out the window just in time to see Hank's SUV pull up along the curb. She let out a chuckle and Kim followed her eyes.

The two women watched as Layla leaned over and kissed Hank, deeply, before jumping out and heading inside. It was raining slightly so she ran in quickly as Hank drove away.

Layla came in, wiped her feet and looked around. She smiled when she spotted the two women and hurried over to join them.

"Sorry I'm late." Layla told them, putting her purse over the back of the chair and sitting down.

Trudy, never one to shy away from anything uncomfortable, said, "So, you and Hank spent the night together huh?"

Layla, surprised, snapped her head up to look at Trudy.

"What?" Trudy asked, not phased. "He drove you to brunch on a Sunday morning. And if I'm not mistaken he was wearing a wrinkled dress shirt. Even Kim could figure that one out."

Kim looked up and gave Trudy an offended look that said, _Really?_

Layla blushed but lifted her head defiantly.

"As a matter of fact, we did. And we had the most incredible…"

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Kim said loudly, her hand held up.

"Please, I'm begging you. He's my boss."

Trudy laughed to herself. The whole reason she'd said anything was to get a rise out of Kim. She knew Layla could handle herself. It worked.

Layla nodded, satisfied that she hadn't let them embarrass her.

After a beat, Layla looked down at her menu.

"So what's good here?"

As the three women discussed the menu options, and ordered a round of mimosas, they settled into easy conversation and enjoyed their time together.


	11. Chapter 11

The following Monday, Layla got to work early and sent an email to the HR department to make an appointment to officially file a complaint against Jerry. After that, she reviewed her log notes for the previous week and submitted them.

As the rest of her co-workers filed into their cubicles around her, Layla's work friend, Samantha, popped her head in.

"Layla. Hi."

Samantha leaned against the doorway to Layla's cubicle. She was a short, overweight middle-aged woman with short, spiky hair always dyed a different color. This week it was purple. Samantha was the first one to reach out to Layla and make her feel welcome when she'd started a few months prior and Layla greatly appreciated that.

"Samantha, hey. How was your weekend?"

Samantha looked around conspiratorially then pulled out her phone and said, "Not as good as yours, apparently."

Holding her phone for Layla to see, Samantha giggled as Layla looked at the photo on her phone. It was of Layla and Hank dancing at the mayor's party.

Layla looked up at her. "Where did you get that?"

"My brother texted it to me. He's a detective over at the 16th precinct. You met him on one of your first assignments - Anthony Matthews?"

Layla nodded, "Oh yeah. He was really nice."

Samantha smiled mischievously. "Yeah, he thought he recognized you. He's heard me talk about you and he was just asking me if that was you. With Hank Voight?"

Samantha's voice got high and squeaky when she said Hank's name and Layla looked around, using her hand to tell Samantha to bring it down a notch.

"Yes. We're dating."

Layla hated the way "dating" sounded. It made them sound like teenagers.

"Girl! How could you not tell me this? Does Jerry know, because he is going to be devastated when he realizes he really doesn't have a shot with you."

Layla had confided in Samantha about Jerry asking her out the first week on the job, and every time he'd asked her out since.

"Actually…"

Layla went on to tell Samantha what had happened between her and Jerry at the party. Samantha put her hand over her mouth, eyes-wide.

"Yes. I agree. You should definitely file a report with HR."

Both ladies heard someone clear their throat behind Samantha and the older woman turned around slowly. Jerry was standing behind her.

"Ladies, you should really get to work. You can have your girl talk on your lunch break."

Jerry looked at both of them but his eyes lingered on Layla. She couldn't read his expression but it definitely wasn't happiness. She had no idea how long he'd been standing there or what he may have heard.

Samantha hurried back to her cubicle and Layla turned her attention back to her work. Once Jerry walked away, she let out a breath and checked her email to see if HR had gotten back to her yet.

 _-break-_

The rest of the week was busy for Layla and Hank. They'd only had a chance to text and even that had been sporadic.

Layla did file her report with HR. In doing so, she had to disclose her relationship with Hank, which they'd discussed. There was no policy directly forbidding them to date as they were in two totally different departments and he was not her direct supervisor.

Beth Hayes, the HR administrator that documented Layla's report, seemed sympathetic. Though she wouldn't come out and say it, Layla got the impression that she wasn't the first woman to file a complaint against Jerry.

When Layla finally got off work Friday night, she headed over to Precinct 21. She knew she'd find Hank in his office.

Trudy smiled when she saw Layla walk into the Precinct.

"Layla! How's it going?"

"Pretty good. How about you, Trudy?"

"Ah, you know. Trying to keep these patrolmen in line is a full-time job." Trudy glared at a young patrolmen as he walked by and he quickly averted his eyes. Layla giggled.

"You enjoy that a little too much." She told Trudy, who winked at her.

"Need me to buzz you up to Intelligence?"

Layla nodded and Trudy walked around the desk, scanning her finger print and unlocking the gate to head upstairs.

Before she walked back down the stairs, Trudy turned and said in a quiet voice, "Hey. The case their working… it's been a tough one."

Layla nodded and touched Trudy's shoulder.

"Thanks Trudy."

As the gate slammed behind her and Layla walked into Intelligence, she could feel the somber mood in the air. Antonio was at his desk working on his computer. Kevin and Adam were standing in front of the case board talking about something. Layla didn't see Kim, Hailey or Jay. Antonio nodded at her when she walked by on her way to Hank's office, but didn't say anything. They were all too focused on the case.

Hank looked up as she approached his office and waved her in. Layla noticed how tired he looked. She closed the door behind her.

"Hey. Sorry, I should have called before I came."

Hank stood up and walked around his desk.

"No. You didn't need to call. I'm glad you came by."

Layla stepped into his open arms for a hug.

The way he held her just a little longer than normal told her the case was taking a toll on him.

Leaning back, she put her hands on either side of his face.

"You okay?" She asked him.

She looked into his eyes as she spoke. There was a hard look there. Cold and distant.

"I will be." He said, honestly. Layla nodded and kissed him. It was the first time they'd kissed since he'd dropped her off for brunch and the memories of the night they'd spent together came rushing back for both of them.

Hank deepened the kiss and pulled her closer. Layla sighed against his lips, happy to be in his arms after a long week.

When they parted, Hank said, "Layla, I wanted to…" but was interrupted by a knock on his office door.

Hank opened the door with an aggravated expression on his face. Antonio was standing there, a paper in his hand.

"Just got the L.K.A. for the perp's brother. We're heading there now. Burgess is going to meet us there. Upton and Halstead are still at the prison talking to the cousin."

Hank nodded, thankful for a lead. Grabbing his coat from the coat rack, he slipped it on.

Layla stepped out of his way, knowing they would talk later. Right now he had a job to do. She was surprised when he stopped for a moment and said, "Tomorrow night. My place. I'll cook."

She smiled and nodded.

"I'll bring the wine." She told him with a wink. Hank smiled at her and she was glad she could lift his spirits for a moment.

"Be safe," Layla called out after him as he followed Antonio out into the bullpen, on their way to follow up on the lead. He turned and gave her a nod before they headed down to the garage.

 _-break-_

Hank had just put potatoes in the oven when the doorbell rang. When he opened the door, Layla stood on the other side, a bottle of red wine in one hand, as promised. Her other hand was holding a covered dish. Hank hurried to take the dish and the bottle from her and led her inside.

"What's this?" Hank asked, raising the dish.

"Oh that?" Layla asked, sitting her purse on the entryway table, next to Hank's badge and gun.

"That is the best chocolate lava cake you will ever put in your mouth. I guarantee it."

Hank raised an eyebrow as she followed him into the kitchen and he sat everything down on the counter. When he started to lift the foil covering the dessert, Layla slapped his hand away.

"Uh uh! That's for after dinner."

Hank chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist instead, pulling her close for a kiss.

Layla's playfulness turned serious when she felt the passion behind his kiss. There was a need behind it.

Pulling back, she looked at him closer. "You good?"

Hank sighed. "Yeah. Just a long week."

Layla put her hands on his neck softly, her thumbs sliding gently across his jaw. She looked at him with concern.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked.

"No." Hank said, immediately. "The case is closed."

Layla looked into his eyes a moment longer, just to be sure he really was okay, then gave him a quick kiss.

Turning to the counter, she grabbed the bottle of wine she'd brought and said, "Then let's open this wine and relax."

"Sounds great." Hank said, taking the bottle from her and heading to the cabinet to get two glasses.

After he poured them each a glass, Layla sipped her wine and looked around the kitchen.

"So what are we having for dinner?"

"Sirloins on the grill, baked potatoes, salad." Hank said, reaching into the refrigerator and pulling out the sirloins. Grabbing tongs from a drawer, he nodded for Layla to follow him to the patio.

The grill was already hot and the steaks made a satisfying searing sound when he placed them on the grates.

Layla had grabbed both of their wine glasses as she'd followed him and handed Hank his glass once the steaks were on.

It was unseasonably warm for a November evening and Layla breathed in the fresh air.

"I filed that report with HR."

"Good."

Hank walked around the grill to stand beside Layla. She was looking out at the sky, the setting sun casting an warm glow across her skin. Hank just stared at her for a moment, taking her in.

Layla, sensing his eyes on her, turned to face him.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked him, curious at the expression she saw on his face.

"I was just thinking about how much better my life has been since we met." Hank told her.

Layla smiled and sat down her wine glass before wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Same." She agreed, before laying her cheek against his chest.

They stood like that, in the glow of the setting sun, until Hank had to flip the steaks.

Layla watched him as he cooked and found herself wondering what the future might hold for them. Since Jake's death, she really hadn't given the future much thought. In fact, she'd basically been taking each day one at a time for over two years.

Now, she found herself hoping this would be just one of many evenings they would spend together.

Hank looked up at her and smiled a half smile before turning his attention back to the grill. Layla watched him long after he looked away, realizing without any doubt that she was in love with Hank Voight.

 _-break-_

"She did what?" Jerry asked, exasperated as he paced his boss's office.

"She filed an official complaint with HR."

Jerry ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

"That bitch." Jerry mumbled under his breath.

Jerry's boss, Daniel West, had been his best friend since childhood. In fact, he'd gotten him his first job with the department. Whenever Daniel got promoted, it wasn't long before Jerry did too. Daniel felt responsible for Jerry, always had. They were like brothers.

Walking over to his friend, Daniel said, "Look man. I love you. But you've got to reign in the flirting and the temper. One day it's going to get you in more trouble than even I can get you out of."

Jerry nodded. "I know. I know. I'm sorry. I will do better."

Daniel looked at his friend for a long moment and hoped what he was saying was the truth.

"Okay. I can make this one go away but if it happens again, I'll have to push it up the chain of command." Daniel told Jerry.

Jerry nodded and shook his hand.

"Thanks bud. I promise, I'll do better."

Jerry turned and headed back to his office, fuming. How dare she file a report. If she'd just agreed to go on a date with him, none of this would have happened.


	12. Chapter 12

A few weeks later, Hank was sitting in his office finishing up a case report when his phone rang. Glad for a distraction from his least favorite part of the job, he answered it without looking at the caller ID.

"Voight."

"Hey Hank."

At the sound of Erin Lindsay's voice, Hank couldn't help but smile.

"Erin. How are you? It's good to hear your voice.

"You too. I'm sorry I haven't called in a while, I…"

"Don't worry about it." Hank interrupted, "I know you're a big shot FBI agent now."

Erin laughed. "Yeah, yeah."

"Listen, my boss says I can have a few days off for Christmas so… is my old room still available?"

Hank leaned back in his chair, smiling from ear to ear.

"Absolutely, kid. When do you land? I'll pick you up from the airport."

"Not sure yet but I'll let you know." Erin told him.

"Alright." Hank said, then he added, "There's someone I want you to meet while you're here."

There was a beat of silence.

"Who am I meeting?" Erin asked, intrigued.

"Layla Martin. She works in IT for the department, and she's Cindy Herrmann's sister. We're…" Hank tried to think of the right word but all he could come up with was, "...dating."

Erin made a sound of surprise.

"Wow. That's great, Hank. I can't wait to meet her."

Hank could hear some noise in the background.

"Hank, I gotta go. I'll let you know about my flight. See you soon."

After he hung up the phone, Hank looked around his office and reflected on the changes in his life over the past year. He'd gone to a dark place after Erin left and Al was killed. Finally, and mostly thanks to Layla's presence in his life, he was finally coming out of that darkness.

Hank hurriedly finished his report and decided he was going to head home. Layla was supposed to come over after visiting her sister and he was going to be waiting to tell her just how much she meant to him.

 _-break-_

While Hank was working late, Layla sat in her sister's kitchen, rolling out cookie dough for homemade Christmas cookies.

"Remind me why I volunteered to help with this again?"

Layla asked, swiping her hair out of her face and leaving a trail of flour across her forehead.

Cindy laughed and transferred a cookie sheet from the oven to a cooling rack.

"Because you are such a loving sister." Cindy smiled sweetly.

Cindy had recruited Layla to help bake 12 dozen cookies for the church's nativity play and reception.

"Right." Layla said, grabbing a cookie cutter to start on her next batch.

As the women continued baking, Layla's phone buzzed on the counter. Her sister watched as Layla read the text and smiled.

"Hmmhmm, and will Hank be joining us for Christmas dinner this year?"

"We haven't really talked about Christmas plans yet." Layla replied. They'd both been so busy they hadn't gotten around to it yet.

Cindy looked up at her sister, eyes twinkling, and said, "Well, you're going to be here so I have a feeling he will want to be here too."

Layla smiled and said, "I'll talk to him tonight. I'm headed to his place when I leave here anyway."

Layla finished placing her cookies on the cookie sheet and loaded the last batch into the oven. Chris walked in as soon as the oven door closed and said, "Alright, what's the gossip ladies? I hear you in hear whispering."

Cindy, who was busy washing dishes, said, "If by whispering you mean talking normally, then yes we were."

Chris grabbed a cookie when Cindy wasn't looking and motioned to Layla to keep quiet.

"Actually, Christopher, I was telling Layla that Hank is invited to Christmas dinner."

Chris grimaced. "When I think of Hank Voight I don't really picture Christmas cheer."

Cindy show her husband a reprimanding look and he quickly added, "But, he did help out Sevveride a while back so I'll allow it."

"You'll allow it?"

Chris quickly corrected and turned to Layla, saying, "I mean, we'd love to have him." As Chris retreated into the living room, he shouted, "The more the merrier, that's what I always say!"

After her husband was gone, Cindy said, "You guys are getting pretty serious then, huh?"

Layla smiled to herself. "Yeah, I guess we are."

Cindy smiled and said, "It's nice to see you so happy."

About that time, Annabelle walked into the kitchen holding a teddy bear.

"Young lady, I thought I put you to bed?" Cindy asked her sleepy-eyed daughter.

"I know, mommy, but I want Aunt Layla to read me a bedtime story."

Layla turned to her niece and laughed when she saw her bottom lip poked out. She was milking it.

"She is good, Cin, you have to admit." Layla said to her sister, then turned around and scooped up her niece in her arms, carrying her back to her room.

"Come on, sweetie. I'll read to you."

 _-break-_

When Annabelle finally fell asleep, it was almost 9:00 PM and Layla was exhausted. She'd come straight from work and hadn't really stopped going all day.

She said goodbye to her sister and headed out to her car.

As she waited for the engine to warm up and defrost the windshield, she texted Hank.

"Sorry. Bedtime story emergency. Still want me to come over?"

She watched the bubbles, indicating he was typing a response.

"Absolutely."

Layla smiled at his response and put the car in drive, turning the radio from Christmas music to classic rock as she pulled out of Cindy's neighborhood.

As Layla sang along to the song on the radio, she thought about Hank and what her sister said about them getting serious. They were serious. In fact, Layla was spending more nights at his place than at her apartment now. But neither of them had yet to say the words, "I love you." It was a big step for both of them and Layla was afraid of saying it too soon. She was finally happy and she was afraid of rocking the boat.

Glancing in her rear view mirror, Layla realized that the black sedan behind her had been there ever since she'd left Cindy's.

At first, she told herself it was just a coincidence that the car was going the same direction as her, but after making a few unnecessary turns, she was convinced she was being followed.

Trying to remain calm, Layla picked up her phone and called Hank.

"Hey, you almost here?" He answered.

"Hank, I think I'm being followed."

Hank stood up from where he sat on his couch and walked into the entryway, grabbing his coat from its hook.

"What kind of car? Can you see the driver?"

"I can't really see. It's a black sedan, older model. Maybe a Ford? I think it's been following me since I left Cindy's house."

The thought of someone hanging around Cindy's house, with the kids there, made Layla scared and angry.

"Okay," Hank said, getting into his car and turning on the blue lights, "Where exactly are you right now?"

As Layla told him where she was, Hank drove as quickly as he could. Due to the holiday season, there was more traffic than usual and Hank cursed more than once at drivers that wouldn't move out of his way.

Layla stayed on the phone and kept driving, the sedan still tailing her.

Finally, Hank caught up, turning off his patrol lights before turning onto the street Layla was on. When Layla saw his SUV in her rearview, she let out the breath she'd been holding. She watched as he slipped into the lane behind the black sedan.

Using the radio in his truck, Layla heard Hank call in the license plate to dispatch. A moment later he got a response. "Sergeant, the plate is registered to Jerry Blackman. White male. 40 years old. No active warrants. Should we show you in pursuit?"

Now knowing who was following her, Layla felt sick. What exactly was his goal here? To scare her? It had worked.

Layla's hands tightened on the steering wheel as she heard Hank respond to dispatch, "Negative, dispatch. Disregard plate information."

Hank put his phone back to his ear.

"Layla, listen to me..." From spending time in Intelligence, Layla knew the tone in his voice. He was all business now.

"... I want you to drive to Precinct 21. Trudy is filling in on desk tonight. I'm going to call her and let her know to be out front waiting for you."

"Got it. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to follow this son of a bitch and make sure he never comes near you again." Hank said, ending the call before Layla could say anything else.

Layla put her phone down and tightened her grip on the steering wheel.

When they got about three blocks from the precinct, Jerry must have realized what was going on and shot out of the lane, almost hitting an oncoming car. As he sped past Layla, she let out a shaky breath and pulled up in front of the precinct.

Immediately, Hank turned on his lights and sirens and took off after him, the roar of his engine almost drowning out Trudy, who said, "You okay?" as soon as Layla stepped out of the car.

Trudy led Layla into the vacant office at the bottom of the stairs and closed the door.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Layla replied, but her shaking hands betrayed her nerves. Trudy smiled and said, "Let me go get you a cup of coffee."

Layla nodded and Trudy started to open the door.

"Trudy?"

Trudy stopped and turned back to face Layla.

"What is Hank going to do when he catches up with Jerry?"

Trudy pressed her lips together and her eyes flickered to window.

"Cream and sugar?" Trudy asked, ignoring her question.

Layla sighed, wondering if maybe it was better she didn't know anyway.

"Yes, cream and sugar. Thanks."

As Trudy left and closed the door behind her, Layla tried to ignore the fear she felt. Fear from being followed, fear from wondering what Hank was going to do and fear from wondering if Jerry was more of a threat than she'd originally thought. Clearly, if he was willing to go as far as to tail her car, she'd mis-judged him.

Trudy came back in with two coffees and gave one to Layla.

"Hank can take care of himself." Trudy assured her, but Layla knew she'd be nervous until he walked back into Precinct 21.

 _-break-_

Hank followed Jerry to an old cabin on the edge of town. Jerry pulled into the driveway at a high rate of speed, swerving as the snow and slush caught his tires. Hank pulled in after him, throwing the car in park and jumping out as Jerry tried to run into the house.

"Jerry. Stop running!" Hank called out, loudly.

Jerry, in his haste to get away from Hank, slipped on a patch of ice and went down. Hank stalked over to where he was and put his foot on his back, keeping his face down in the snow.

Jerry, out of breath, started cursing at Hank.

"What the fuck, Voight? I wasn't doing anything."

Hank knelt down and drove his knee into Jerry's shoulder. Then he leaned down and put his face close to Jerry's ear.

"Listen to me, you son of a bitch. I don't know what this obsession is that you have with Layla, but it ends now."

Jerry tried to buck Hank off, but Hank added more pressure.

"All I was doing was trying to apologize for the misunderstanding we had at the mayor's party. That's all."

"Maybe I'm not making myself clear."

Hank pulled his gun out of it's holster, placing the barrel of the gun against the back of Jerry's skull. He stilled immediately.

"Turn in your resignation tomorrow and don't ever come near Layla again."

Jerry started to say something and Hank cocked his gun.

"Jerry. You're not listening. Turn in your resignation tomorrow and get out of Layla's life within 24 hours or I'll be coming back here without this badge. Do you understand?"

When Jerry didn't answer right away, Hank put more pressure on his shoulder and Jerry cried out in pain.

"I understand!"

Hank stayed there for a moment, letting the message sink in, before finally standing up and releasing Jerry.

As Hank walked back to his car, he holstered his gun and called out over his shoulder, "Don't make me come back here, Jerry."


	13. Chapter 13

When Hank walked back into Precinct 21, Trudy motioned towards the vacant office. Layla jumped up as soon as he rounded the corner to enter.

"Thank God." Layla said, rushing into his arms and kissing him.

Hank, trying to lighten the mood for her, laughed and said, "What? You don't think I can handle myself around a prick like Jerry?"

At the mention of Jerry, Layla frowned. "Well, apparently he's a little more… driven than I thought so who knows what he is capable of?"

Hank saw where her mind was going so he kissed her again and pulled her close.

"Hey. Don't give him another thought." He said, quietly, waiting for her to meet his eyes. When she finally did, there was a resolve there - that strength that he loved about her so apparent on her face. He couldn't hold back his words another second.

"Layla, I love you."

Layla's eyes widened in surprise.

"When Camille died, I never thought I'd want a relationship with another woman and I just…" Hank tried to find the right word, "... turned off that part of myself. I thought if I could just put everything I had into the job, I'd be fine."

Hank reached for her hand and held it.

"I was wrong. And I didn't know how wrong I was until you came along."

Layla smiled, happy tears in her eyes, and Hank raised his hand to her cheek, "You are an incredible woman."

Hank's eye contact never waivered.

Layla closed her eyes, leaning into his palm against her cheek.

"I love you too." Layla whispered, covering his hand with her own.

"Even though everybody told me to stay away from you," Layla teased and Hank chuckled, pulling her close against him.

Layla leaned in and kissed Hank softly, Jerry completely gone from their minds.

The kiss continued until Trudy said very loudly from the desk, "Hey you two. Get a different room."

Separating, Hank and Layla laughed and shot Trudy apologetic looks.

"Alright. Let's go home."

Layla nodded, grabbing her stuff and heading out.

"Thanks for your help, Trudy." Hank told her as they walked by the desk.

"Don't mention it." Trudy said, trying to hold back her grin as she said, "Now get out of here, lovebirds."

 _-break-_

That weekend, a heavy snow storm moved in and blanketed the city. Everyone that could, stayed home. Hank and Layla stayed in too, but they didn't need the excuse of bad weather.

They spent almost all saturday in bed, kissing, talking, making love. Now that they'd said "I love you," they were more relaxed with each other, more honest.

"Here you go…" Layla said, walking back into the bedroom with two cups of coffee. Hank didn't process when she handed him one because he was too busy watching her. She was completely naked.

"Ahem. Hank?"

Hank came to and hurriedly took the mug from her. Layla let out a giggle and sat down beside him, leaning against the headboard like he was and sliding back under the sheets.

"Sorry." Hank said, taking a sip. "If I drink this really fast, will you do that again?"

Layla threw her head back and laughed, then she smiled slyly.

"I don't think you need any more caffeine, Sargeant. You've had quite enough energy this morning, in my opinion."

It was Hank's turn to chuckle.

"So, it's 2:00 PM and we haven't officially gotten out of bed."

"I'm okay with that." Hank replied, taking her mug from her hands and placing it beside his on the nightstand before turning back to her and kissing her deeply.

Layla moaned against his lips as his hands roamed her body beneath the sheets. When his fingers slid between her legs, she gasped, leaning her head back in pleasure as Hank's lips moved to her neck.

"Hank…" Layla whispered, breathless for the third time that morning.

"Do you want me to stop?" Hank growled, a teasing edge to his voice.

"No. Please." Layla panted, the rhythm of his fingers bringing her close to the edge.

On the nightstand, Hank's cell phone started ringing.

Layla opened her eyes, thinking he would stop, but he was watching her.

"Relax, baby. I'm not going anywhere."

Layla made a sound, somewhere between a moan and a laugh before closing her eyes and surrendering completely to his touch.

The phone kept ringing but Hank maintained his rhythm, speeding up when Layla whispered, "I'm… close…"

Hank watched her face as she cried out, her lips parted, auburn hair fanned around her on the pillow. Breathing heavily, Layla opened her eyes to find Hank smiling at her.

"What?" She asked.

"You're so beautiful." Hank told her, and Layla laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure I look real beautiful right about now."

Hank kissed her before getting up and grabbing his phone.

"Hey Kev, did you call?" she heard him ask, as he stepped out of the room.

Layla used that time alone to compose herself.

When Hank returned, he said, "Kev is doing a comedy show at a club downtown tonight. The whole team is going. Interested?"

Layla smiled. "That sounds like so much fun. I'm in if you are."

Hank nodded his agreement and got back in bed. Layla slid over to him and laid her head on his chest.

"I might need a nap though, I've had an exciting morning."

Hank laughed and pulled her closer against him, leaning back on his pillow and closing his eyes.

"We've got time." He said, already starting to drift off himself.


	14. Chapter 14

Between the business of preparing for the holidays and a case that Intelligence caught, the next two weeks flew by without Hank and Layla seeing much of each other. Layla's new boss had given her more responsibility, which she enjoyed and appreciated, but it also made her work hours unpredictable.

On the last Friday night before Christmas, Hank didn't leave the precinct until 8:30 PM. Layla had texted him earlier saying she had a surprise for him when he got home and his interest was piqued. Knowing she hadn't eaten, he swung by and picked up her favorite Chinese takeout before heading home.

Walking in and discarding his coat and the takeout bag, Hank walked into the living room to find Layla putting the finishing touches on a Christmas tree.

"Surprise!" Layla said when she saw him, putting the last ornament on and standing back to appreciate her work. Hank had mentioned that it had been years, since Erin had moved out, that he'd put up a tree and the comment had put the idea in Layla's head. She'd swung by the store on her way over and picked up supplies.

Hank stood back looking at the tree, his expression unreadable, hands in his pockets.

Layla started to get nervous. She knew that the holidays could be hard having lost someone you loved… the memories and the emotions stirred up so easily. She suddenly wondered if this had been a bad idea.

She walked to his side, "You okay?"

Layla's voice to his right pulled Hank from his thoughts and he smiled at her, his eyes glistening.

"I love it."

Layla let out a sigh of relief and let him pull her to his side.

"I was just wondering," Hank told her as he turned to face her and took her hands in his, "how I managed to get so lucky?"

Layla laughed and gave him a quick kiss before she leaned back and said, "Do I smell Chinese food?"

Hank chuckled and headed back to the entryway where he'd left the takeout, then followed her into the kitchen.

As they ate dinner, Hank told Layla that Erin's flight would land in three days, on Christmas Eve.

"That's great. I can't wait to meet her. She is coming to Christmas dinner at Cindy's right?"

Hank nodded. "She is."

They both continued eating in silence until Layla cleared her throat nervously.

"Did you tell her about…"

Hank lifted his eyes, curious.

"... our age difference?"

Layla knew Erin was a strong, independent woman who viewed Hank as a father. The reality was that Layla was much closer to Erin's age than to Hank's, and she'd found herself wondering if that would rub Erin the wrong way.

Hank just waived her off.

"Erin won't care about that. I promise."

Layla nodded before turning back to her dinner, still feeling nervous to meet Erin but putting in the back of her mind.

"I bought your Christmas present today." Hank told her, leaning back in his chair and smiling.

Layla leaned forward and smiled excitedly.

"Oooh. I wonder what it is?"

Hank shrugged and took a sip of his drink.

"Is it shiny?" Layla questioned, her eyes wide.

"No." Hank admitted and laughed when Layla's face fell.

"Is it edible?" She questioned.

Hank looked at her strangely before saying, "No?," as if he was wondering why she would want it to be.

Layla took another bite, still obviously thinking of more questions, while Hank stood up and put his plate in the sink.

"Well, I was going to save one of your presents for Christmas Eve, but since Erin will be here…"

Layla went upstairs as Hank poured himself a scotch, curious as to where she was going with her comment.

A few moments later, Layla walked back into the kitchen and Hank let out an appreciative chuckle.

"You're dangerous…" He told her as he walked over to her, taking in the red, satin lingerie as he approached. The ensemble basically consisted of one, big bow that covered her breasts and matching panties.

Layla teased him and took a step back when he got within arms reach.

"Well, we haven't gotten to see a lot of each other over the last two weeks."

Layla was trying to tease him, but as she looked at him standing there - dark blue dress shirt tucked into her favorite jeans of his, gun still attached to his hip, his eyes dark with desire - she realized her resolve to keep him waiting was faltering.

Hank saw her teasing smile falter and he took the opportunity to turn the tables. He walked over to her and put his hands on her waist, turning her quickly so that her back was to him.

The move surprised her and she let out a gasp.

Hank, one hand still on her hip, moved her long hair to one side with his other, exposing her neck. Without hesitating, he pulled her close against him and placed hot kisses along her neck, her shoulder, while his other hand roamed her stomach.

Layla melted under his touch. She could feel his belt against her bare skin and the sensation turned her on. When he turned to get a better angle for his kisses, his gun pressed into her back and she laughed, breathily.

"You might want to take that off."

Hank left her for a moment and the sudden absence of his warmth made her shiver. She heard the soft snap of the leather clip of his gun holster as he slid it off his waistband, then he felt his hand in hers, pulling her to the counter.

"If I'm not mistaken, we had a rain check…" Hank said and before she could process what he meant he reached down and lifted her up onto the counter.

Anticipation caused a shiver to run through Layla as Hank found the ends of the bow and gave a tug. As the red, satin fell away, she whispered, "And what did you say you got me again?"

Hank looked up at her and chuckled at her attempt to trick him.

"Like I said, your dangerous."

He pressed his lips to hers, kissing her hard, making her breathless. Then he pulled back to add, "But so am I."

He winked at her before his mouth ventured elsewhere and Layla moaned, whispering to herself, "Merry Christmas to me," before letting herself give in to the pleasure.


	15. Chapter 15

On Christmas Eve, Hank and Layla arrived at the airport at 6:30 PM. Erin's flight was supposed to land at 7:00 PM but Hank wanted to be early.

As they sat in the waiting area, Hank kept jiggling his foot with nervous energy and it caused Layla's chair to shake.

"You are so cute." Layla finally said.

"What?" He asked, innocently.

"You are so excited! It's just cute."

Hank let out a laugh and reached for her hand, holding it in his.

"I'm just ready to see Erin, that's all. Make sure they're treating her alright in New York."

From behind them a husky, female voice said, "They're treating me just fine."

Recognizing Erin's voice, Hank jumped up from his chair and immediately pulled her into a hug.

"It's good to see you, kid." Hank said, not letting go.

"You too, Hank." Erin replied, closing her eyes as they hugged.

Layla stood back and watched the two embrace, a smile on her face.

When the hug ended, Hank gestured to Layla. "Erin, this is Layla."

Layla looked nervously to Hank as Erin walked over to her.

"Hi!" Erin said, her eyes sparkling, "It's nice to meet you, Layla."

Layla was getting ready to stick out her hand for a handshake when Erin pulled her into a hug.

"Anyone who can make this guy smile like he was when I walked up gets a thumbs up in my book."

Layla relaxed a little, Erin's sincerity obvious.

"Well, thanks. It's nice to meet you too, Erin. Really." Layla told her.

Hank picked up Erin's carry on and said, "Alright ladies. It's Christmas Eve. Let's head home."

As they walked to the exit, Layla said, "I hope you're hungry, Erin. I've got a homemade lasagna waiting to go in the oven. It was a Christmas Eve tradition when Cindy and I were growing up."

"That sounds incredible. I've been living off Chinese takeout and pizza for the last two weeks. We've had a big case that's kept me at headquarters constantly."

As Layla walked ahead of them to the car, Erin looked at Hank and raised her eyebrows, a smile on her face.

"What?" Hank asked, curious about her expression.

"Nothing. Just glad to see you happy, that's all."

Hank wrapped an arm around Erin's shoulders, pulling her against his side and squeezing.

"I'm glad you're here, Erin."

Erin gave him a sincere smile and said, "It's good to be home."

 _-break-_

That night, Hank, Erin and Layla sat around the kitchen table, enjoying good food and each other's company.

When Hank stood to get the bottle of wine from the counter, Erin asked, "So, Layla, how'd you end up with the department? Hank tells me your in IT?"

Layla nodded. "I am. I moved back to Chicago from North Carolina this past summer and the job caught my eye. I wanted to work at a place that I could make a difference, not just write code in a dark basement somewhere."

Erin nodded. "Cool. How'd you end up in North Carolina?"

"My husband was stationed there."

Layla took a sip of her wine before adding, "He was killed in action."

Erin cleared her throat. "I'm so sorry."

"Thanks."

Erin's eyes flickered to Hank. She understood their relationship a little better, now.

"Yeah, I stayed there for two years before Cindy encouraged me to come back home. Be around family."

Hank came back to the table and refilled everyone's wine glasses.

Lightening the mood, Layla looked over at Hank and said, "From the day I started with the department, I kept hearing about this renegade Sergeant at Precinct 21 that I needed to avoid."

Erin laughed and Hank smiled, leaning back in his chair and putting his hand on Layla's back.

"He does have a reputation, that's for sure." Erin said and Layla agreed.

"A well-earned reputation." Hank chimed in, standing up for himself, a smirk on his face.

"True, but we both know you're just a big softy." Layla winked at him before leaning over and giving him a quick kiss.

When they separated, Erin lifted her glass, holding it high, and said, "To family. Old and new," she added, looking especially at Layla. Layla nodded at her, her eyes tearing up a little at the kind sentiment.

Hank smiled as they clinked their glasses together. He felt happier than he could have thought possible.

 _-break-_

On Christmas morning, Hank awoke to find himself alone in bed.

Frowning, he sat up and looked around. Layla was nowhere to be seen.

As Hank made his way downstairs, he hesitated, hearing Erin and Layla's voices in the kitchen.

"I'm glad he has you." He heard Erin say.

"Thanks, Erin. I have to admit, I was worried about your reaction."

"Please. You know as well as I do that no day is promised. Be with who you love and if anybody has a problem with it, they can go fuc…"

"Well, I see I've been a great influence on you." Hank said, choosing that moment to walk into the kitchen.

"Ha. Ha." Erin said, dryly, as she put her coffee mug in the sink and headed upstairs to shower.

Layla turned around and leaned against the counter.

"Merry Christmas." She told him, somehow making it sound seductive.

Hank walked over and pulled Layla into his arms.

"Merry Christmas. Why'd you get up so early? I was hoping…" Hank placed a kiss on her neck and Layla sighed, "We could have a little time together this morning?"

"I thought I told you, I have to get to Cindy's early and help her get everything ready."

Hank frowned, remembering.

"Oh yeah."

Layla laughed and stepped back.

"Spend the day with Erin and I will see you at 3:00 PM sharp." Layla reminded him, pointing a finger at him to be sure he heard her.

"Okay, see you at 3."

He pulled her close for a kiss, his hands sliding up her sides, under her shirt. Layla let out a shaky sigh between kisses. "Hank…"

Layla's phone rang and startled them both.

Layla gave him a reprimanding look for distracting her before answering it.

"Hey Cin. What? Calm down. We have some butter here. I'll bring it. Yes, I'm on my way. Okay, love you sis. Bye."

When she hung up, Layla went to the fridge and gathered up all the butter she could find.

"Butter emergency. See you at 3PM."

Layla gave him a quick peck before grabbing her purse and heading out.

When Hank and Erin arrived at the Herrmann's, Chris answered the door.

"Hey! Erin!" He exclaimed, pulling her into a hug.

"Good to see you! Merry Christmas!"

Erin had helped Firehouse 51 on multiple occasions and Chris hadn't forgotten.

"Thanks, Herrmann. You too."

Chris stepped back so they could enter and turned to Hank.

"Hank." Chris extended his hand for a handshake.

"Come on in. The ladies have been hard at work."

Hank, thankful that he and Herrmann wouldn't have a problem, shook his hand.

"Thanks for having us." They both knew he really meant, "Thanks for having me."

As Chris closed the door behind them, he said, "Well, you're pretty much part of the family now and Cindy has instructed me to be on my best behavior."

Hank laughed and followed Chris to the kitchen, Erin having already gone ahead without them.

Layla, looking up from spooning stuffing into a serving dish, made a sound of excitement when she saw Hank and ran over, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a kiss.

"Hey you." She smiled and Hank chuckled. She was obviously tipsy.

Cindy walked over a moment later and said, "Sorry, we decided to open the wine a little too early."

She pointed at Layla and Layla scoffed, heading back over to finish what she was doing.

"I'm glad you could come, Hank." Cindy said, hugging him.

"Thanks, Cindy." Hank told her, sincerely.

With the Christmas music playing and everyone in good spirits, Hank found himself feeling a little emotional. That's why he was glad when Chris said, "Hey Hank, want a beer?"

Hank gladly accepted and the two men wandered into the other room with their drinks.

Twenty minutes later, the table was set and Cindy called everyone to dinner. As they sat down and got situated, Cindy said a blessing. Afterwards, she raised her glass and said, "Here's to the first responders that didn't get to have today off. May they make it home safely to their families." Everyone raised their glasses and added their agreement as they toasted.

"Alright. Let's eat!" Chris added and everyone laughed.

Sitting back in her chair, Layla took a moment to look around the table and take it all in. Last year she'd been in another state, alone on Christmas Day. This year she was with Cindy and her family, Hank and Erin. She was happy. She was loved.

Hank looked over and noticed Layla's eyes were filled with tears. He leaned in and whispered, "Hey, you okay?"

She looked up at him and smiled. "I'm more than okay."

When they got home that night, two bags of leftovers in tow, everyone was full and happy.

It wasn't long before Erin said, "Alright. I'm going on up to bed. Those kiddos wore me out and I am so full I don't think I'll make it up the stairs if I don't go now."

Layla laughed. "Yeah, they'll do that to you. Goodnight, Erin."

Hank walked over and gave her a hug, "'Night, Erin."

After Erin headed up, Layla poured them each a glass of scotch and they went to sit in the living room in front of the tree.

They sat like that, Hank holding her in his arms, until he leaned down and whispered, "Are you ready to open your presents?"

Layla smiled and her eyes got wide. "I thought you'd never ask."

Hank laughed as he stood up and walked over to the tree, reaching down to pick up two small packages from under it.

Layla went in the other room and came back with two packages for him, as well.

"You go first." She told him, thrusting a present into his hands. It turned out to be a really old, really expensive bottle of scotch.

Hank looked up at her appreciatively.

"Chris helped me find it. I think he was kind of jealous that he didn't get one, too."

Hank laughed and kissed her. "Thank you."

"Now open the next one!" She said, excitedly.

Hank opened the small package to find a print-out inside. It was a description of a cabin on Sinissippi Lake. He looked up at her, surprised.

"How do you feel about four days lakeside, in that cabin… away from the city… alone…"

Hank pulled her against him and kissed her softly.

"I think that sounds like heaven."

Layla smiled, glad he was happy. "I've already booked it for the week of Valentine's Day. Trudy even put in a vacation request for you. She said it'd been so long since you'd requested vacation time that you'd probably forgotten how."

Hank laughed and said, "She's right."

Hank kissed her again before handing her a small, wrapped gift.

"Your turn."

Layla tore off the wrapping paper to find a black, velvet jewelry box underneath.

Opening it, Layla gasped when she saw a beautiful pair of stud earrings. The center stone was a green, round-cut emerald. Each stone was surrounded by diamonds.

"Hank, these are beautiful."

"You like them? I picked them out myself."

Layla looked up at him and smiled, imagining how out of place he must have looked.

"They made me think of that green dress you wore to the mayor's party."

"Oh yeah?" Layla asked, remembering fondly what happened after that dress had come off.

"Yeah. I won't forget that dress as long as I live."

Layla laughed and kissed him.

"I love them. Thank you."

Hank handed her the other gift. She opened it, pulling out four pieces of paper and studying them. Once she realized what they were, she squealed and started bouncing from foot to foot.

"Eric Clapton tickets! How did you get these? The Chicago show sold out in like 10 seconds!"

Layla was nearly jumping up and down and Hank couldn't help but laugh at her.

"I called in a favor." Was all Hank said and Layla wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I love my presents. And I love you. This has been a great Christmas."

Hank looked down at her, a serious expression on his face, and said, "I love you too."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Two days after Christmas, Layla headed to her apartment to catch up on laundry and check on things there while Hank drove Erin to the airport.

Incredibly, Intelligence had not been called in on any cases and the three of them had spent all of Wednesday together. Erin and Layla had gotten to know each other a lot better, which Hank loved - that is, until the two women started ganging up on him. He'd had to sit through Hallmark Channel Christmas movies instead of the gun-slinging western he'd wanted to watch.

But Hank couldn't deny that lounging on the couch, watching movies with Layla and Erin, had been one of the best days he'd had in a long time.

Layla was just folding her last load of laundry when her cell phone rang.

"Hey, you okay?" She answered, knowing Hank was a little down about Erin leaving.

"Yeah," Hank said on the other end of the line, "Erin is in the air back to New York."

"Hey..." Layla said, trying to cheer him up, "...why don't we go to the diner on 10th and pig out on a greasy, Chicago breakfast?"

Hank laughed on the other end of the line, then said, "That sounds great. I'll come pick you up."

When Hank arrived he knocked on the door instead of using his key and Layla had a flashback to the first night he'd stopped by.

Opening the door, she hesitated a moment, just taking him in and reflecting on all that had happened since that night.

"This brings back memories," she told him as Hank walked in, giving her a kiss. As she closed the door, Hank said from behind her, "Yeah, I've been thinking about that."

Layla looked at him, waiting for him to elaborate.

Sticking his hands in his pockets and looking up at her, Hank said, "Move in with me."

Layla's eyes widened in surprise and she walked over to the couch to sit down.

Hank remained standing.

"Wow. I… wow."

There was a long silence before she said, "Are you sure? I mean, I love you but this is a big step. A big, forward-momentum step. We haven't really talked about…"

Hank walked over and sat down beside her, taking her hand in his.

"Nothing would change, really. You're at my place most nights." Then he added, "And I do want to move forward with you. This is just the next step."

Layla's eyes snapped to his, reading between the lines of what he wasn't saying. They hadn't really talked about their future, and here was Hank hinting at… what? Marriage?

The thought scared Layla, a lot - more than she cared to admit - so she focused on the matter at hand.

"And you're sure about this?" Layla asked, trying to process her feelings.

"Sweetheart, I'm sure." He had a small smirk on his face, completely relaxed - completely Hank Voight.

His certainty stilled her nerves.

She loved this man. She felt safe with this man. The answer was clear in her mind.

"Okay, I'll move in with you!"

 _-break-_

The night of the concert, Hank got home and headed upstairs to shower. He found Layla digging through a box in the bedroom.

"What are you doing?" He asked, glancing around the room at clothes strewn everywhere. They'd finally finished moving her clothes in, but they were still in their boxes in the bedroom floor. They still had a few trips to get the rest of her things.

"I'm looking for my leather jacket. I want to wear it to the concert tonight but I can't fin… Ah ha!" Layla stood up quickly, proudly holding the jacket in the air.

Layla was all ready to go, wearing tight, black jeans and an old Eric Clapton concert t-shirt tied in a knot, her midsection exposed.

Hank walked over to her and took the jacket out of her hands, letting it fall to the floor.

When he pulled her close and started kissing her, Layla sighed, "Hank… we have to pick Trudy and Mouch up in 30 minutes."

"I know." He said as his kisses moved to her neck.

She sighed and gave in to his touch. Since Christmas, they hadn't had a lot of time to spend together, especially with every free moment devoted to packing up her things and moving them to his place.

"Did you solve the case?" Layla whispered, trying to stay clear-headed but feeling drunk on his touch and his kisses.

"Hmmhmm." Hank mumbled, walking her backwards towards the bed.

"Hank… be good." She warned him as the back of her legs hit the bed.

Hank pulled back, smirking, and looked at her. Then, his voice gravelly, he said, "Is that really what you want?"

The dangerous look in his eye made Layla's stomach tighten with excitement.

Layla met his look with a challenging one of her own and pulled at his shirt to untuck it from his jeans. She noticed when he winced and pulled back from her touch.

Narrowing her eyes at him, she asked, "What's wrong?"

Hank ignored her and tried to kiss her again but she pulled away.

Realizing the moment was gone, Hank sighed.

"It's no big deal, I just took a small caliber round to the vest today when we went to apprehend a suspect. I'm just a little bruised."

Layla's mouth fell open. "You were shot?" She asked, her voice going up an octave at the end of her question, illustrating her displeasure. Lifting his shirt, she saw the purple bruise across his ribs on his left side.

Hank stilled her hands with his.

"That's what the vest is for. I barely even notice it. I promise." Hank told her.

Layla narrowed her eyes at him and poked a finger into his side. Hank grunted and winced.

"Yeah. Seems fine." She said, sarcastically.

"It's no big deal. I've had much worse."

Hank didn't think about his words until they were already out of his mouth and Layla scoffed. "Oh, great. As long as you've had worse, then I guess getting shot at is no big deal."

Layla left him standing by the bed and went to pick up her jacket from the floor.

"And where was the rest of your team when this was happening?"

Hank felt a sting of anger at her words and his demeanor changed.

"What, you don't think I can handle myself?"

Layla rolled her eyes as his machismo.

"I know you can handle yourself! I just wonder why it's always you in the line of fire when you've got a whole team!"

Hank took a step closer to her, getting angrier that he was having to explain himself.

"Because it's my team! I'm responsible for them."

Layla, her back still to him, said, "I just wish you would rely on them more."

Stepping forward, Hank said a little too loudly, "I didn't know I had to check with you on how to run my unit!"

Immediately, Hank regretted his words.

"Layla, I'm sorry…"

"No!" She yelled, turning around to face him. Hank could see the tears in her eyes.

"No! You're right. I knew what I was signing up for when I started dating 'Seargant Hank Voight'." She said his name as if it tasted sour in her mouth.

"I'll just sit here and wait for someone to call me and tell me you weren't so lucky next time." Hank winced as the tears started falling down her cheeks, but this time it wasn't from the pain in his side. Now he realized where this was coming from and he felt like an ass.

Hank closed the space between them and pulled her against him, ignoring the pain in his ribs.

"I'm fine. I'm right here." Hank told her as he rubbed her back.

Layla took a deep breath and looked up at him, her eyes puffy and red. "I can't lose you, too."

Hank pulled back and looked her in the eyes.

"I promise you I will do everything in my power to come home to you each night, safe and sound."

Layla nodded and wiped her eyes.

When they separated, Hank said, "Next time I'll send Halstead in first."

This made Layla laugh and Hank felt the tension in his chest release at the sound.

"Deal. Now go shower so we can get going."

Hank kissed her cheek and headed into the bathroom.

Layla sat down on the edge of the bed and took a steadying breath. Grabbing her phone, she called Cindy.

"Hey, sis, I thought you had the concert tonight?"

"I do, we're leaving soon. I just needed to talk for a minute."

Cindy, now hearing the strange tone of Layla's voice, said quickly, "What's wrong?"

Layla quickly explained the situation to her sister. Then she said, "I guess I'm just not as strong as I used to be - sitting at home while he runs into danger every day. I'm not as strong as you are."

Cindy let out a laugh. "Layla, you are so much stronger than I am. You know why? Because you've lived through the worst case scenario and yet you still love, you still have compassion for others, you refuse to let it beat you. Bottom line is, even though it scares us, their sense of duty and sacrifice is one of the things we love most about them."

Layla nodded in agreement, even though she knew her sister couldn't see her. The lump in her throat was too large to speak.

"Look, Hank loves you. Don't you think he's going to do everything he can to make it home to you?"

Clearing her throat, Layla said, "Yes."

"Then try to let that fear go and enjoy being together. God knows, you both deserve a little happiness."

Layla nodded, feeling better.

"You're right. Thanks, Cin."

Hank walked back into the bedroom, a towel wrapped around his waist, the bruise on his ribs a stark contrast against his skin.

"Anytime. Now put this behind you and go enjoy the concert!"

Layla laughed and assured her sister she would.

"Love you, sis."

As she hung up the phone, Hank asked, "Everything alright?"

Taking a deep breath, Layla stood up and smiled.

"Yes."

She walked over to Hank and kissed him deeply, ignoring that doing so got water all over her clothes.

Hank raised an eyebrow at her and smiled.

"Get dressed, Sargeant, we roll out in five."

With that, she grabbed her jacket and headed downstairs to wait for him.

 _-break-_

By the time they walked into the arena, Layla and Trudy were giddy with excitement. The two women had been talking non-stop for the last twenty minutes about the set list, possible encores and how close their seats were to the stage. Hank had managed to get seats on the fourth row.

"Ladies!" Hank said, trying to get their attention for the second time.

"Why don't you two go ahead to the seats and we will get drinks." Hank said, motioning to Mouch.

"That sounds great!" The two women took off and Hank and Mouch looked at each other, shaking their heads.

The closer Trudy and Layla got to their seats, the louder their squeals of excitement. Once they got there, they both took out their phones to take a photo of how close they were to the stage.

Layla was in the middle of sending a text to Cindy when she heard a voice behind her.

"Hey, baby! Damn, I'm glad you're sitting in front of me. You are smoking hot."

Layla and Trudy both turned around to find a group of frat boys, clearly drunk from pre-gaming in the parking lot.

Layla just ignored him.

"Oh, why do you have to be like that?" The guy slurred.

Trudy turned around and pointed a finger at the guy, "Look buddy, you're drunk so I'm going to give you a pass. We're all here for a good time. But you need to cool it."

The guy put his hands up. "Alright, ma'm. No problem."

Trudy shot him a look, not happy about being called ma'm, before turning back around.

Moving on, Layla leaned over and said, "So, were you going to tell me that Hank got shot today?"

Trudy looked guilty for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry. I didn't want to worry you. He's fine, really."

"So he says." Layla gave her a look.

Then, in a quieter voice, Layla asked, "If it were Randy, you wouldn't want to know?"

Trudy looked at her for a moment before nodding. "Point taken. Next time you'll be my first call."

"Thank you." Layla told her, sincerely. Trudy got the sense that something had happened between her and Hank before they'd arrived to pick them up. Now she had a better understanding of what it might have been about.

Mouch and Hank arrived at their seats, drinks in hands.

When Hank got to his seat and handed Layla her drink, she kissed him.

"I love you. Thanks for getting these tickets."

Hank smiled, glad she was feeling better after their argument earlier.

"You're welcome. Now let's relax and enjoy tonight."

Hank put his arm around her waist, pulling her against him, careful of his side.

"Damn," the drunk, frat guy exclaimed behind them, "I don't have a chance with her anyway. She's into old dudes."

Hank looked at Layla and she made a face, "Yeah. We've already had one chat with this guy. He's drunk. Just ignore him."

Hank obliged and turned his attention back to the stage. A few moments later, the lights went dark and the show started.

As the show went on, Hank was more relaxed than he'd been in a long time. Layla was clearly having the time of her life and it made him happy to see her enjoying herself. She and Trudy sang along to every song. Hank even found himself singing along to some of the more popular hits.

At intermission, the ladies headed to the restroom and joined the long line of waiting women while the men went to get more drinks.

Layla and Trudy were busy talking about how great the show was when someone bumped into Layla, spilling beer all down her front.

Once the initial shock wore off, she realized it was the guy that had been sitting behind them.

"What the fuck?" Layla yelled, getting pissed.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It was an accident," the guy smirked, obviously having gotten his second wind, and obviously lying.

"Okay, that's it." Trudy said, and walked over to the nearest security guard. After a moment of explaining who she was and what was going on, he and another guard came over and escorted the guy out of the arena.

Once he realized what was going on, the guy got belligerent and started yelling obscenities.

Trudy walked back over and looked at Layla's soaking shirt.

"You okay?"

Layla, still pissed and now smelling like a brewery, tried to salvage her mood.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I'll just try to soak some of this up."

She did the best she could with bathroom paper towels.

When they got back to their seats, Hank looked concerned.

"What happened?"

Layla tried to put the same, light-hearted smile on her face as before intermission but wasn't entirely successful.

"That drunk guy from before, he "accidentally" spilled his beer all over me. Trudy got him kicked out."

Hank nodded his thanks to Trudy and she waved him off.

"He needed to go to the car anyway, sleep it off." Trudy said.

Once the lights went down, Layla's mood lifted and soon they were all four back to enjoying themselves.

The show ended with an encore of "Sweet Home Chicago," much to the crowd's delight.

Once the song ended, the lights came up and everyone started making their way to the parking lots.

"That was incredible." Layla was saying, more like yelling since her ears were ringing from the concert, as they walked out into the fresh air.

"My favorite song was…" Trudy started saying, but was interrupted when someone approached from behind them.

"Hey, bitch! How dare you get me thrown out. I told you it was an accident."

The same drunk guy approached. He was actually carrying a fresh beer in his hand, probably left over from pre-gaming.

From her right, Layla heard Hank say, "I'm going to enjoy this so much" as he started to turn around, fist poised to knock the guy out.

A wave of anger came over Layla and before she realized what she was doing she turned around and punched the guy in the face, hard.

Already off balance, the guy fell to the ground.

Trudy watched him go down with a proud smile on her face.

"Grow up, asshole." Layla told him as he picked himself up, embarrassed, and walked back to wherever he came from.

Once he was gone, Layla held her right hand with her left, her knuckles already swelling.

"Damn, I think that hurt me more than it hurt him."

Hank walked over, a smile on his face, and examined her hand.

"You'll be fine. We'll stop and get some ice."

Layla, still concerned about her hand, looked up and saw Hank smiling.

"What?"

Hank brushed her hair behind her ear and kissed her.

"I love you." He told her, holding her good hand as they walked back to his SUV.

 _-break-_

After they dropped Trudy and Mouch off, they went back to Hank's house. Their house, now, Layla reminded herself, as they got out of the car and walked up to the front door. That was going to take some getting used to.

While Hank was unlocking the door, Layla put her hand on his arm.

"Hey, thanks for tonight. I'm sorry I freaked out before we left."

Hank turned to her. "No, I'm sorry I was such an inconsiderate asshole. Hopefully, tonight made up for it?"

Layla smiled and snaked her hands around his neck.

"It was a start."

She kissed him suggestively and Hank raised an eyebrow.

"But I can think of an even better way to make up for it."

Hank chuckled and kissed her back before opening the door, eager to get inside.

Neither one of them noticed the black sedan parked across the street, a long-lens camera poised in the driver side window, snapping photos as they kissed.


	17. Chapter 17

A week later, Layla was assigned to do another round of computer updates at Precinct 21. When she showed up Monday morning, she came bearing gifts of bagels and donuts.

"Good morning." She called out as she entered the bullpen.

"Hey, Layla! Here, let me help you with that." Adam hurried to her to take the boxes of baked goods from her arms.

While Adam carried them to the break room, Kevin stood up and walked over to her. "He just really wants a donut, don't start thinking he's a gentleman or anything."

Layla laughed and hugged Kevin.

"Don't worry. I know you're the only gentleman around here." Layla assured him.

Kevin laughed and stepped aside for Jay to get a hug too.

Hearing the noise, Hank came out of his office and walked over, kissing Layla on her cheek.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

Layla smiled. "Well, I belong to Intelligence for the next week, according to my boss. I have a new round of updates to install."

Layla patted her laptop bag.

"Great," Adam said, joining them again, "maybe Sarge will be in a better mood this week."

Hank turned to Adam and said, teasingly, "Maybe if you'd stop yapping and find me that LKA, I'd be in a better mood."

"Oooh, burn." Kim said in appreciation and the team laughed.

"Alright, I don't want to interrupt." Layla said smiling, retreating to the break room. Turning her head, she called over her shoulder, "Whoever gets to a stopping point first, give me a shout."

Layla was pouring herself a cup of coffee when Kim entered the break room and grabbed an iced donut with sprinkles.

"Thanks for these, by the way. I've had enough granola bar breakfasts this month to make me sick."

Layla laughed, "No problem."

Then she added, "Hey, we haven't had a chance to hang out in a while. You want to meet up for a drink after work?"

Kim smiled, "Yeah. Yeah, that sounds great."

A moment later. Antonio called Kim back to the bull pen and Layla was left alone. That is, until Hank's shadow filled the doorway.

"We're rolling out, so you can start working on my computer if you'd like and go from there," he told her as he pulled his coat on.

"Be careful," Layla told him, with a pointed look.

He smiled reassuringly, "I promise."

 _-break-_

After work, Layla and Kim headed to Molly's to grab a drink and catch up. Layla wanted to know all about the new guy that Kim was dating.

Kim, in desperate need of some girl time, was happy to oblige and spent a good 20 minutes dishing the details.

During a natural lull in their conversation, Layla took a moment to look around the bar. She glanced over at the bar stool she had occupied months ago and reflected on how much her life had changed.

That night, months ago, she'd been lonely, depressed and scared about her big life changes. Now she glanced around and saw friends and family - both actual family and her new Intelligence family. And she was going home to a man that she loved.

Layla was smiling when she turned back to Kim.

"What?" Kim asked, an inquisitive smile on her face.

Layla just shook her head. "Nothing. Just glad I moved back home."

Kim nodded and raised her glass.

"To scary life changes that turn out better than we could've imagined." Layla knew Kim was also referring to her own career change from flight attendant to police officer.

The ladies clinked their glasses together in a toast and took a sip.

Later, when Herrmann came over and asked if they wanted another round, Layla glanced at her phone.

"Wow. I did not realize it was already 9:00PM. I've still got to do some log notes from today. I think I'll head out." She told Kim.

Kim finished her drink and stood at the same time Layla did. "I'm heading out too."

After paying their tab, Layla and Kim walked out of Molly's. They'd both parked around the side of the building so they started in that direction.

Layla was a few steps ahead of Kim and turned the corner of the building first.

Immediately, she felt someone grab her and pull her tight against his body, his hand clamping down hard over her mouth.

A few steps later when Kim turned the corner, her eyes widened and she reached for her gun. But she was off duty and didn't have it on.

She put her hands up instead when the man pulled out a gun of his own and pointed it at her.

"Don't make a move. She's coming with me. If you try to stop me, I'll kill you."

Layla recognized the voice. It was Jerry. Fear filled her body. Eyes wide, all she could do was look at Kim, hoping she could figure some way out of this.

"Listen, buddy. I can't let you do that. And I'm a cop. So if you kill me you're going to have the full force of the Chicago PD coming down on you and I promise... you don't want that."

Kim took a tiny step closer to them but Jerry pulled them back two steps.

"I said, don't." Jerry told her.

"Okay. Okay. So how do you want to play this?" Kim asked him, her hands up again.

"Layla's coming with me. You're staying here."

Jerry started walking them backwards to a blue van parked close by, idling.

Panic filled Layla chest. She realized there was no way out of this. Jerry was going to take her.

Kim tried to take a step forward every time Jerry took one backwards, but he kept his gun raised at her and said, "One more step and you're dead."

Kim grimaced in frustration but nodded and kept her hands up as she watched him walk Layla to the van.

When they were far enough away that Kim couldn't hear, Jerry leaned down and whispered in Layla's ear, "Finally, we get to be alone."

She felt Jerry shift behind her, his hand never leaving her mouth, and she heard a van door slide open.

Jerry had to turn them around to get her in the van so he took the gun off of Kim. When he did, Layla drove her elbow backwards into his rib case. Kim, realizing what was going on, took off towards him while he was distracted, ready to attack.

Jerry grunted and grabbed Layla, pushing her into the empty van so hard that she hit her head on the opposite door. Pain immediately exploded behind her eyes.

Layla tried to reach for the other door handle so she could get out and help Kim. She could hear the two of them grappling outside the van, but she couldn't get her eyes to focus. Everything was spinning.

Now, in her vision, there were three door handles and she grabbed clumsily for them all, passing out before she made contact with one.

The last thing Layla heard before she completely lost consciousness was the sound of a gunshot.


	18. Chapter 18

Hank was at home when he got the phone call from Chris.

As he sped to Molly's, sirens blazing, all Hank could do was replay Herrmann's words in his head. Kim, shot? Layla, taken? It sounded so impossible that Hank convinced himself he'd find out he'd misunderstood him when he arrived.

But when Hank pulled around the corner and Molly's came into view, reality and fear settled into his gut. The lights of an ambo and a patrol car lit up the street, which was full of bar patrons and neighbors who'd wandered outside to see what was going on.

Hank got out of his truck and barked orders at the patrolman who was standing there with a lost look on his face.

"Get these people back inside. Nobody leaves. Take everyone's statements."

"Yes, Sergeant." The patrolman responded, obviously glad to have some direction.

Once he passed through the crowd, Hank saw Herrmann standing beside the EMTs as they lifted Kim onto a gurney.

"Burgess!" Hank shouted, running until he was at her side.

Blood saturated her shirt and blood splatter covered part of her face, but Kim was still conscious.

"Sergeant Voight, we need to get her to Med, now." Sylvie Brett told him, her voice stern.

Kim reached out and grabbed Hank's wrist, leaving wet blood on his sleeve.

"White male. Middle-aged. Black hair. Six feet. Blue van. Plate WC49 or CW49… it's all I could get. He knew her. I think… he knew her."

Hank catalogued everything she said in his mind and shifted her grip to hold her hand. He could tell she was fighting unconsciousness.

"You did good, Kim. You rest now, okay?"

Almost immediately, Kim eyes closed involuntarily as she lost consciousness.

"Alright, out of our way! We're going to Med, stat." Sylvie shouted.

Hank watched as they loaded Kim into the ambo and turned on the sirens, pulling away from the curb.

Pulling out his phone, Hank called Trudy. He caught her up on what was happening.

"It's Jerry. I know it." Hank told her, anger making his words come out in loud bursts.

"I'll get the rest of Intelligence up to speed and we'll start tracking his credit cards, registered vehicles, searching pod footage…."

"That'll only tell us where he's been. I need to know where he's going. I have to get there before…"

Hank stopped himself from even speaking the words. If that son of a bitch hurt Layla, he was a dead man, Hank thought.

Suddenly, Hank remembered Daniel West, Jerry's boss and friend. He had to know something.

"Trudy, Daniel West. Get patrol to bring him in. I want him in interrogation when I get there."

"On it."

* * *

When Hank walked into the precinct, officers hurried to move out of his way. Word had spread quickly… one of his officers, shot. His girlfriend, taken. No one wanted to get in between him and whoever was responsible.

Hank hurried up to Intelligence where he found the rest of the team, and Trudy, working hard.

"Is he here?" Hank asked loudly before everyone realized he was even in the bullpen.

Hank was looking at Trudy for an answer. She stood and followed Hank, who never stopped walking, to interrogation.

"He's here, Hank. But I don't think he knows anything."

Hank turned and gave her a look, his hand on the door knob to the interrogation room.

"We'll find out." Hank growled, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

The team watched from the viewing room as Hank did what he did best. Intimidate.

"So you mean to tell me, that you have no idea where he could have taken her?"

Hank asked, his fists on the table, his body leaned in towards Daniel as he stood across from him.

"Sergeant Voight, I don't know! Like I said, Jerry has been like a stranger ever since he… resigned." Daniel put emphasis on the word resign, indicating that he knew that Jerry hadn't left voluntarily.

Hank smirked at him and walked around the table to stand behind him, leaning down to whisper in his ear.

"Daniel, you're a smart man. You know what I'm capable of. I suggest you think real hard." Hank put his hands on Daniel's shoulders and the younger man flinched.

"Where is he?" Hank growled in the man's ear.

Daniel closed his eyes, obviously nervous but trying to force himself to think.

Hank didn't remove his hands until Daniel's head popped up and he started talking.

"There's an old mill near where we grew up. It's been abandoned for years. We used to play there as boys. Lately, Jerry's been bringing it up a lot. I thought he was just reminiscing, but…"

Hank walked around the table.

"Address?"

As Daniel told them the location, Hank was already walking out of interrogation where Kevin fell in step beside him.

"Got it boss. 3465 Bakers Mill Road."

The rest of the team started gathering their things.

"Let's go!" Hank told them, not breaking his stride as he headed to his SUV.

* * *

When Layla came to, she thought her head would split in two.

It took her a moment to focus enough to open her eyes.

When she did, she felt a jolt of adrenaline.

She was in what appeared to be an old warehouse.

She felt something warm on her forehead. Blood. But when she lifted her hand to touch it, she was met with resistance.

With a wave of nausea, she looked down and realized the entirety of her situation. Her clothes had been removed, except for her underwear, and she was bound by her wrists and ankles to an old chair.

Looking around in a panic, Layla saw a camping lantern in the corner of the room. It was casting it's light on the wall by the door.

The wall, she realized, was covered with paparazzi style photos of her. Some of her and Hank. Moments she could remember. Some she couldn't. All captured on film and displayed in front of her now, showing her the extent to which Jerry's obsession had taken him.

She was still admiring the wall with a sick astonishment when Jerry entered the room.

His presence caused her adrenaline to surge and she pulled against her restraints.

"Oh, now I wouldn't do that. You might hurt yourself." Jerry said as he approached Layla, his voice sickeningly calm.

When he reached her, he brought his hand to her forehead, lightly outlining the gash in her forehead where she'd hit the door handle of the van.

"You already did some damage."

Layla cringed away from his touch but couldn't escape it.

"You did that, Jerry. When you kidnapped me and pushed me into a van."

Layla snapped, determined not to let him make her a victim.

Jerry looked at her for a moment, then smiled as he walked back over to the lantern.

"I guess you're right. But I had no choice, did I? I tried to do this the easy way, but you just wouldn't have it."

Jerry walked over to the wall of photos, his eyes settling on a photo of Hank and Layla kissing outside their house the night they returned from the concert.

"You were too busy with Voight to notice me."

Jerry's expression turned angry and he looked away from the photo.

Layla saw an opening and took it.

"Jerry, you need to stop whatever you're doing and let me go. You know Hank is going to come for me. And you know how that's going to end for you, so…"

"You think I have anything left to live for?" Jerry yelled, turning to her with a crazed expression on his face.

"I've lost everything! My wife left me! At least I had my job, until Voight took that from me too."

Then, his mood changing in an instant, he smiled at her.

"You were the one beacon of hope I had left."

Jerry walked over to her again and her body stiffened as he reached out his hand, letting his thumb caress her cheek, her neck, her shoulder…

When his finger lingered on her bra strap, sliding under it and tugging it off her shoulder, Layla did the only thing she could think of - she spit in his face.

In response, Jerry's hand landed with a loud smack against her cheekbone.

For a moment, Layla thought she might pass out again and it took her a moment to focus.

"You bitch! You're done teasing me. For once, I'm going to take what I want."

* * *

When the team arrived at the warehouse, Hank quickly assigned pairs to breach at each entrance. They'd approached with no sirens, as to not alert Jerry to their presence.

"Let's do this quickly and quietly until we find them."

No one asked what the plan was when they found Jerry. No one needed to.

The team breached quietly from their assigned entrance points and the next five minutes passed agonizingly slowly for Hank. The warehouse was huge and decay had caused a lot of debris they were having to avoid.

The lower level seemed to have been mostly offices, which meant a lot of rooms to clear as they made their way deeper into the building.

Hank and Trudy had breached together, and he turned to look at her in the darkness as they turned down another hallway.

"What if they're not here?" Hank whispered, the pit of dread in his stomach growing at the thought.

Trudy kept his gaze. "They're here, Hank. We've just got to keep looking."

Hank nodded and they proceeded to clear the next three offices on the hall. No one.

That's when they heard a scream from the other end of the hall.

Trudy called their location in to the rest of the team as they ran to the source of the scream.

Hank ran as fast as he could to the room, the glow of a light getting brighter as he approached.

Hank entered the room with his gun drawn and found Jerry on top of Layla on an old mattress. Layla was fighting against him as hard as she could.

Rage propelled Hank forward until he had his hands on Jerry, yanking him off of Layla and throwing him to the floor.

"Hank, I…" Jerry started to say, but Hank cut him off with a fist to the jaw, knocking Jerry back down to the ground with a thud.

From then on, Hank saw nothing but red. He straddled Jerry, pummeling him with punches until his fists began to slip against the warm blood coming from Jerry's broken nose, his busted lip.

Even then he only stopped because Ruzek and Atwater physically pulled him off of Jerry.

"Sarge, that's it! He's done!" Jay shouted, putting himself between Hank and Jerry with a steadying hand on Hank's shoulder.

"Voight!" Upton called from where she and Trudy were crouched beside Layla. "Get over here!"

Hank hurried to Layla's side.

Layla was bleeding from her forehead, and there were bruises starting to form on her body from where Jerry had grabbed her, but she was alert, her eyes wide with fear.

When Hank knelt down beside her, Layla threw herself into his arms. The last inch of courage she'd been holding on to, gone, as she sobbed against his chest.

"You're safe now, baby." Hank told her, holding back tears of his own.


	19. Chapter 19

An hour later, Hank was sitting in the waiting room staring at the floor when Cindy sat down beside him.

"Thought you could use this." She said, handing him a cup of coffee.

Hank, pulling himself from his thoughts, looked up and gave Cindy a nod of appreciation as he took the coffee from her.

Hank was about to take a sip when he saw Dr. Halstead coming around the corner.

Standing, Hank met the doc halfway. Cindy at his side.

"Sergeant Voight. Cindy," Will began, "Layla is stable. I stitched up the wound on her forehead but she does have a concussion, so we'll be monitoring that for the next 24 hours. Her cheek is badly bruised but I didn't find any broken bones, which is good. Aside from that and some bruises, physically she's going to be fine."

"Can I see her?" Hank asked, relieved when Will nodded.

"Yeah, come on and I'll take you to her."

Hank followed Will to a room at the end of the hall.

When he walked in, Layla tried to smile at him.

"I look great, don't I?" She joked, not able to hide the tear that slipped from her eye as she looked down at her hands.

Hank walked over to her side and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"I think you look beautiful." He told her, grateful to have her safe and sound in front of him.

Layla laughed softly and wiped away a few more tears.

Then she looked at Hank's hands, which were covered with dry blood.

"I told him you would come for me." She whispered and Hank let out a sigh.

"It should have never gotten that far. I should have been there sooner." He said, guilt thick in his voice.

Layla put a hand on his arm.

"You got there soon enough." She told him, grateful that he hadn't been even a minute later.

Hank nodded, his throat tight with emotion.

"All I kept thinking was that you and I… we haven't had enough time together." Layla said, surprised to see a tear on his cheek when she looked up at him.

"No, we haven't." He agreed.

Layla moved over so Hank could sit on the bed beside her.

He obliged and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"We're going to get through this. Together." Hank told her, turning to kiss her gently on her forehead.

Layla looked up at him and nodded.

"I love you." She told him, her voice pinched at the end as tears started to fall again.

"I love you too, Layla. More than you know."


	20. Epilogue

_**Two Months Later**_

"You ready to go?" Hank asked as he walked into the bathroom where Layla was getting ready.

He smiled when he looked at her reflection in the mirror as she put on her earrings. She looked incredible, the scar on her forehead barely noticeable.

When she was finished, she turned and smiled at him.

"I'm ready." Then, reaching out to smooth his tie, she added, "Don't you look sharp."

Hank smiled when she pulled him a little closer.

"Well, it's your birthday. I thought I'd step it up."

Layla laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Consider me impressed." She whispered, leaning in to place a soft kiss on his lips.

When they parted, Hank ran his hand down her arm and held her hand.

"Let's go."

* * *

When they arrived at the restaurant, Layla was surprised to see that the entire Intelligence team was there, along with Cindy and Chris, and Trudy and Mouch.

"Surprise!" They yelled out when Hank and Layla walked in.

Layla walked over to the table, her hands over her mouth in shock.

"You guys! I had no idea!"

Layla made her way around the table, giving everyone a hug, and giving Kim and extra squeeze when she got to her.

"How are you, girl?" Layla asked, glad to see Kim was finally out of the sling.

"Really good!" Kim told her, "Back on active duty next week."

"That's great. I know the team will be glad to have you back." Layla told her.

Kevin leaned in from next to Kim and said, "Well, I wouldn't go that far," and Kim punched him on the arm.

Once she'd said her hello's, she and Hank sat down and they ordered a few bottles of wine for the table.

As the night progressed, Layla found herself relaxing more than she had in months. Here she was with her family - that's what she considered everyone at the table - celebrating her birthday at a five-star restaurant.

Hank leaned over and whispered in her ear, "You happy?"

Layla turned to him and smiled, the wine giving her cheeks a rosy flush.

"Absolutely." She told him. "It doesn't get much better than this."

At the end of the night, as they were waiting on their desserts, Hank stood up and asked for everyone's attention.

"I just wanted to say Happy Birthday to this incredible woman. I think we can all agree that she deserves all the happiness that comes her way."

Everyone agreed and Layla blushed.

"She's certainly made me happy." Hank added, reaching into his pocket and pulling his chair out.

When he knelt down beside Layla's chair, the table erupted into shocked gasps.

"Layla, I know I don't deserve you. You are strong and beautiful and way out of my league…" Adam and Jay agreed loudly and Hank shot them both a look before he continued. "But I promise I will try to make you happy every day if you'll let me."

Layla, who was completely shocked, looked at Hank with tears in her eyes.

"Will you marry me?"

Layla looked down at the man she loved and the fear she'd once felt at the possibility of marriage vanished completely.

"Yes! Yes, I'll marry you!" Layla told him.

Layla stood as Hank took the ring from its box and slid it onto her finger. The table erupted into cheers and Layla leaned in, kissing Hank deeply.

* * *

After dessert, and after the women at the table asked to see her ring a dozen times, the group started to head out.

Everyone said their goodbyes and congratulations one by one until Hank and Layla were finally alone. They walked back to the SUV slowly, holding hands.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you Sargeant?" Layla teased, unable to stop smiling.

"Oh the night's not over." Hank told her, his voice low and suggestive.

"I can't wait." Layla told him, referring to more than just the night ahead. She couldn't wait to see what their life together would have in store.

 ** _The End_**


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